Something to Talk About
by Leonhart17
Summary: Post season 7 - Willow has something she needs to tell Buffy and Xander about who she's been sleeping with... Moments from Willow and Faith's relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this started as a conversation between DarkRedWillow and myself about Willow apparently _having _to have a girlfriend on the last season (why can't she grieve PTB? Huh? Why not?), so they brought in Kennedy, who is basically wannabe-Faith 2.0, but not nearly as awesome, and we were discussing how we'd have rather had Willow get with Faith, but because of their history, it never would have happened. (And Buffy and Xander would have flipped out and it would have been hilarious!) So, all that to say, that this is me playing with that idea :) Hope y'all like it! (And Merry Whatever-You-Celebrate!)

Set post season 7 and makes references to the night Faith takes all the Potentials out to the bar, but no spoilers. Also - this may contain some _light _Kennedy bashing (it was unintentional, but it sort of snuck in there...) so sorry about that!

* * *

Buffy was sure she was hearing things and she rubbed one ear and shook her head. "What was that, Will?" Xander was sitting on the floor beside her and he scratched the back of his head in confusion. "The connection must be a little fuzzy or something."

On the other end of the phone, Willow laughed, glancing sideways at the source of her friend's disbelief. "I think you heard me."

Buffy cleared her throat and shared another glance with Xander, both of their expressions showing confusion and not a little concern. "So, um…how in the world, I mean, Will…"

"How the hell?" Xander demanded into Buffy's awkward pause.

Willow blushed, biting her lip. "Um…"

"Alcohol," Faith answered succinctly. She shrugged as Willow shot her an exasperated look. "What? They asked, I answered… We got drunk, we got laid…" They could both hear Xander choking on the other side of the phone and each laughed, grinning at the other. The mirth was unexpected but most welcome.

After all, it wasn't everyday that you told your best friends that you've been sleeping with the Slayer…the other Slayer, that is.

Buffy spoke up, voice slow as she obviously struggled to pick her words. "So…is it serious?" She had many things in her life that she worried about, but this, Willow and Faith, was one she'd never expected.

Willow and Faith exchanged looks, neither speaking. It's not a question they'd ever asked of each other in the weeks that this had been happening, so of course it's the first question Buffy asked.

"Can't we just be screwing?" Faith asked, resting her chin on her bent knee.

"Not if you want to continue living," Buffy declared flatly. "If you hurt her, Faith…"

"So I'm the bad guy again?" the dark-haired Slayer questioned, frowning.

"There are no words to describe how quickly I'll kill you if you hurt my best friend," Buffy reiterated forcefully.

"Buffy…" Willow started, voice soft and calming. "Don't worry…"

The blonde Slayer sighed, her own voice quieter as she spoke again. "You're okay, aren't you?"

"Yes, Buffy," the witch answered, smiling shyly down the couch at Faith.

"How the hell did this happen?" Buffy asked again. "Really…"

They could both hear Xander attempt to chime in, but it appeared that their news had made him nearly catatonic, and a gurgle was all that escaped.

"Well…" Faith started the story, grinning as she reminisced.

* * *

The Bronze was crowded, potential slayers dancing and relaxing, but Faith frowned when she came out of the crowd for some air and found Willow draining a pint glass at the bar. "What's going on, Red?" she asked, taking the seat next to her and signaling for a drink of her own.

"Getting drunk," Willow responded dryly, taking a long drink as a fresh beer was put in front of her.

Faith frowned, taking a smaller sip of her own beer. "Not that I'm judging, but any reason in particular?"

Willow shrugged, smirking sideways. "Isn't that why we're here? To have a good time?"

The Slayer shrugged, thinking it over. "I guess you're right," she reasoned. "Cheers," she offered, lifting her bottle to clink it against Willow's before they both took a drink. The silence stretched for a moment before Faith leaned forward, balancing her bottle on its bottom edge and letting it roll in circles, holding it steady with the tip of one finger. "So…B told me about your girl," she started, grimacing when Willow froze, shoulders stiff for a long moment before she tilted her head back and started working on draining her new beer. "You don't want to talk about it, message received," Faith promised reassuringly. "Just… I'm sorry, Willow."

It's the sincerity that got her attention. No matter what their history had been, Faith was sorry that she was in pain. It got through to her in a way that Buffy and Xander's sympathy didn't do. They all loved Tara, but they'd had to experience what she'd become after… Faith had only heard rumors, didn't understand. "Guess we've got something in common now," Willow commented bitterly.

Faith started to bristle, but forced herself to laugh it off. "Yeah, I guess we do," she agreed, finishing off her own beer in one impressive pull.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…" Willow said. "Well, I mean, we were both evil for a little bit, but we're better now. We're working on it…"

Faith gave her a sideways smirk and patted her on the back supportively. "We're doing good, no, we're doing _damn_ good!" She gestured around the room, the club hopping with potentials and music and booze. "We deserve this, girl! One night where we don't have to mope and brood! We're not Angel! We're us! Faith and Willow! Willow and Faith!"

* * *

"And that's the last thing I remember that I'm telling either one of you about," Faith finished the story with a laugh. "We woke up in bed together the next day."

"And it's just kept happening?" Buffy questioned, everyone ignoring Xander's strangled gurgling in the background. "How could we never notice that? That was months ago!"

"It's not all the time," Willow answered. "We've been kind of busy with the First and destroying the town." She blushed as she glanced at Faith. "And the first few times were just when we were depressed, or lonely, or whatever."

"But it happened while we were in Sunnydale? More than once?"

"Faith…Willow is sleeping with Faith?" Xander's voice was hoarse and heavy.

"It was a drunk thing," Faith said, trying to be reassuring. She glanced sideways at Willow. "It started as a drunk thing," she clarified. "I'm not going to hurt her," she promised.

"Where are you guys?" Buffy asked. "I want to see Will."

"You want to try and beat me up," Faith translated with a laugh. "I get it, B."

The blonde Slayer was unapologetic. "She's my best friend! And you…"

"Listen, I know I'm not your favorite person, but it's different now," Faith interjected. "We're having a good time, keeping it simple, but I'm not going to hurt her."

"I want to talk to Willow," Buffy insisted. "My, _our, _best friend!"

"Fine," Faith agreed, leaning over to kiss Willow as she stood up. "I'll go grab us some lunch, babe."

Willow watched her go, giggling as the Slayer shook her ass deliberately as she walked out the door. "Willow!" Buffy's voice drew her attention back and she cleared her throat. "This is weird," Buffy stated. "You and her…"

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Willow offered. "She's not…using me or anything. If anything, I was using her at first."

"What do you mean by that?" Buffy asked, an unseen frown on her face.

Willow hesitated, speaking slowly. "You know how it was for me, after…" She didn't finish it, the thought of everything that had happened still painful, would always be painful. "Faith, she knows what it's like… and she doesn't judge me…" She laughed, but the sound was sad. "And she doesn't remind me of Tara…at all. And right now that's what I need."

"And she's miles better than that chick Kennedy," Buffy chimed in, drawing a genuine laugh from her. "I mean, that girl was all over you! You barely even noticed her and she was all the time getting in your business! Talk about pushy!"

"She was at first, but maybe that was good for me. And it doesn't matter anyway because she started avoiding me after I pulled power from her to get you out of that portal." Willow said. "She'll never admit it, but it was driving Faith a little bit crazy to have her around. That was a good weekend for me though when she finally blew up," she mused almost to herself, blushing when Xander made a renewed choking noise and finally excused himself.

"That explains all those little _incidents _with those two, but I don't think I can hear any more about that, please." Buffy bit her lip, not sure what was going on with the witch, but wanting to be supportive. "Faith, she's being good to you, right? Cause once I figure out where you are, I'll totally come kick her ass if you need me to," she promised.

"She's being good," Willow said reassuringly. "And it's not like we're hiding from you. We're at Faith's apartment."

"We just moved here! She's already got her own apartment?" Buffy asked. "And I don't even know where it is, so that's not super reassuring!" They'd been in Cleveland for just over a week, settling on another Hellmouth until they could figure out another plan.

Willow laughed, rolling her eyes. "You want the address?"

"That would make me feel better, yeah," Buffy answered, not apologizing for being worried. "It's not as skeevy as her place in Sunnydale, is it?"

"It's not quite as bad. Get a pen," the witch directed, giving her friend careful directions.

"I'll keep these safe and memorized, so anytime you need me…just call," Buffy warned her. "So, are you living with her now, or are you coming home?"

"I'll be home soon. Probably not tonight, but I'll bring breakfast in the morning? We can talk…"

Buffy took a deep breath, curling into the corner of the couch and holding the phone with her shoulder. "Yeah, that would be good. You're _sure_ you're okay?"

Willow laughed. "Okay, meet me for lunch," she directed. "You'll just be worried until you see me. You've seen me since this started, you know," Willow reminded Buffy with a quiet chuckle. "You almost caught us once, actually."

"Okay, nope, can't hear about that!" Buffy cut in quickly. "I would like to see you though," she confessed. "I thought Faith was going out to get you guys something to eat."

"She'll be alright," Willow replied, not concerned about missing one lunch. It wasn't as if Faith wouldn't be able to eat Willow's meal as well as her own. "I'll call her on the way."

"That diner on 12th?" Buffy asked, already up from the couch and moving to leave.

"Sure," Willow agreed, laughing. "I'll see you there in five minutes." She clicked off the call and held the speed dial for Faith's cell phone, listening to it ring.

"B wants to see you now," Faith guessed as soon as she answered, laughing.

"We're going to lunch," Willow replied, grinning as she slipped into a jacket and started down the stairs of Faith's walk-up.

Faith's next words were muffled by food and the redhead laughed. "Good thing I'm already eating," the Slayer admitted. "I figured Buffy would freak if she didn't see you today, make sure I'm not holding you captive since I'm such an evil…"

"Stop it," Willow cut her off. "Where'd you go for lunch?" she asked, changing the subject. Faith was still touchy about Buffy, about her place in the group, and Willow didn't want finally telling the others about them to bring up all the old tensions between the two Slayers.

"Found a little place with some pretty decent ribs," Faith answered. "Where are you guys going? That diner on 12th?" she guessed. It was confirmed when Willow didn't answer and she laughed. "Predictable." She paused, thinking before she spoke. "Will you be gone tonight?"

"I don't know," Willow answered honestly. She was sure that Buffy would want to grill her on what she'd been doing with Faith, and if she was being truthful with herself, she really wanted to talk to Buffy, to finally put everything out in the open. "I'll call you."

"No worries," Faith responded easily, trying not to be fussed either way. "Just, I'll just… I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up the phone, hating herself for the vulnerability. It would all be easier if they were just screwing. Unfortunately, Willow had snuck her way in too deep. Her phone beeped in her hand and she flipped it open with one hand, smiling unconsciously as she saw the text smiley face from Willow. Yeah, the redheaded witch was completely unaware of how charming she could be, how utterly cute, but it didn't diminish her charm's effectiveness.

Buffy was already at the diner when Willow arrived, the Slayer pacing at the edge of the table rather than sitting in her seat. Willow let herself be pulled into a tight hug, coughing when Buffy's arms didn't give her room to breathe. "Okay, calm down," Willow gasped as she was released. "We're going to talk this out, remember? Come on, let's sit down, okay?" She led Buffy back to the table and prompted the Slayer to sit.

They didn't speak as the waitress took their order, eyes meeting over the table before Buffy swallowed and just dove right in. "Are you happy?"

Willow sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "You like the hard questions, don't you?" she asked rhetorically. Buffy didn't respond, her mouth curling into a supportive smile as she rested one hand over Willow's on the table. "Honestly, I don't know. Not to be melodramatic, but after… everything that happened, losing Tara…" She had to stop speaking momentarily, saying the name sending a sharp pang through her. She took a shuddering breath as tears burned the corners of her eyes, finding the sympathy in her best friend's eyes across the table. She was moving before she realized she'd made a decision, sliding out of her side of the booth and joining a surprised Buffy on the other. The Slayer wrapped an arm around her, resting her chin against Willow's hair as the witch buried her face in the Slayer's shoulder. "After I lost her, lost myself…I never really thought it would be fair to be happy again…"

"You sound like Angel," Buffy said softly, curling her arm closer around Willow's shoulder as the witch rested her head against her chest. "But it's not true, Will. Tara loved you. She loved you every bit as much as you still love her. She'd want you to be happy."

Willow coughed weakly, the noise suspiciously sounding like 'cliché,' but she nodded against her friend, one hand gripping Buffy's shirt tightly at her side. "It's definitely different than it was with Tara," Willow agreed. "And nothing will ever be like that again… and I know that it makes no sense at all, but Faith is what I need right now…"

Buffy let out a deep breath, giving the returning waitress a distracted smile as she hugged Willow. The witch took a moment longer to gather herself, sitting up slowly and wiping her eyes. "The first time she makes you cry, I'll kill her, I swear," Buffy promised, giving her a friend a wink and a small grin. Willow couldn't help grinning back, laughing.

"Thank you," Willow responded genuinely, pushing back when Buffy nudged her with an elbow. They laughed together, pretending to fight for another few seconds before they stopped mutually and picked up their food.

There were a few minutes of silence as they each ate their lunch, Buffy breaking the quiet without looking up from her sandwich. "So… what's it like to date Faith?"

Willow choked on her fries, pounding on her chest as Buffy slapped her back. "Don't say date!" Willow requested, breathing hard.

"Oh, is 'what's it like to screw Faith for months and not tell your best friend anything about it' better?" Buffy asked sarcastically, laughing.

"Yes!" Willow gasped, surprised to realize that she was grinning as she cleared her throat.

"Okay then. What's it like to screw…" Buffy started to ask, stopped by Willow's hand over her mouth and both of them burst into renewed laughter.

"Stop!" Willow ordered. "Do you seriously want me to answer that? What do you think it's like?"

"I don't know!" Buffy replied. "I, I just want to know how you're doing. I mean, Will, you're dating _Faith_!"

"Don't say dating!" Willow said again. "We're… I don't know what we're doing, but dating… I don't like that word…"

"Okay," Buffy agreed, giving her friend a soothing smile. "Not dating then. How is hanging out with Faith?" There was a pause and she couldn't resist adding, "Without telling me…"

Willow rolled her eyes and shoved Buffy's shoulder. "It's been good, actually. She's a lot of fun."

"Have you guys gone dancing?" Buffy asked. "She's really fun to dance with!" Willow gave her a surprised look, smirking at her friend. Buffy's jaw dropped and she pushed the witch's head with one hand. "Hanging out with her has certainly made you more of a little perv!" she declared, laughing as Willow flicked a piece of a fry at her.

"You're the one that said it!" Willow protested, cheeks red as she spoke. "And who'd have known that dancing with a girl would put that smile on your face!"

"You're the one who's sleeping with her!" Buffy shot back.

"Are you going to ask me about that too?" Willow asked, ducking as the Slayer swiped a hand toward the back of her head. "Hey! I'm just checking how much information you want, or can handle before your head explodes."

Buffy shook her head, still giggling. "No, I can't hear about that or my head really will explode!" One arm curled around Willow's shoulder and pulled her into a hug, realizing as she rested her head on the witch's hair that her cheeks were warm from smiling and laughing. It had been a long time since she and Willow had been so relaxed together and she realized that she'd missed it more than she had known.

"This feels good," Willow chimed in from under her arm, squeezing the Slayer gently. "I've missed you," she said as if she'd read her friend's mind.

Buffy nodded against her hair, letting out a deep breath. "Me too, Will. You've been all busy with your fancy new…"

"Don't say girlfriend," Willow interjected quickly. "I can't handle that word."

Buffy nodded, leaning back to smile. "Okay. It's cool. I get it. No 'g-word.'" She gave Willow a serious look. "You know I want to talk to her."

"You're going to hit her, aren't you?" Willow clarified, arching an eyebrow at her.

The Slayer shrugged, not embarrassed. "I want to talk to her," she repeated. "I'm the best friend. It's my job to make sure she's good enough for you." Her smile faded slightly and she hesitated. "And honestly…"

"She's not the same person she used to be," Willow said quickly. "Are you forgetting how little I liked her in the beginning?"

"No," Buffy stated. "Not forgetting. I just want you to be happy, Will. I need her to take care of you."

Willow shook her head minutely, laughing. "Fine. Do whatever you're going to do. Just don't hurt her, okay?"

"Deal," Buffy agreed with a grin, hugging her again. "You do me a favor and don't tell her I'm coming, okay?"

"Fine," Willow agreed, rolling her eyes as she imagined the fight that would inevitably happen between the Slayers. "I mean it though, Buffy. Don't hurt her!"

* * *

Faith wasn't surprised to see Buffy when she answered the door, but the punch managed to catch her off guard. "Hey! What the hell was that for?" she demanded, rubbing her jaw and spitting blood onto the concrete sidewalk outside her front door. One of her neighbors was walking past and gave the two young women a concerned look. "Get in here," Faith growled, dragging Buffy into her apartment with one hand.

"If you hurt her…"

Faith glared at her, still rubbing her jaw. "Are you serious? B, come on!"

"That was a warning!" Buffy said, pointing at her firmly as she rubbed at her sore knuckles. "Your jaw is _hard_…" Faith rolled her eyes and the blonde shook her head. "Not the point… the point is, if she cries, you bleed."

"That's big talk," Faith stated, bristling. "You think you can take me?"

"I know I can," Buffy said flatly. "And, Faith, if you hurt her, you're ended."

The pair stared at each other, eyes locked tensely until Faith's shoulders relaxed slightly, though she didn't drop her defensive stance. "I'm not going to hurt her," she said earnestly. "I can't say I'll never screw up, but I won't hurt her if I can help it." She stuck one hand out resolutely. "Truce? At least give me a chance to screw it up before you try and beat me up."

Buffy considered, her arms crossed over her chest. "Faith…"

"I know! I screw up, I die!" She kept her hand steady, meeting her counterpart's eyes. "She's too good for me, Buffy. I know that! But she's giving me a chance here. I don't know why, or how long until she wises up and drops my ass." She swallowed hard and rubbed her sore jaw, other hand still waiting for Buffy to shake it. "I'm her rebound and I know it. She doesn't love me…" She took a deep breath. "I know all of that. I know it's going to end sooner rather than later."

Buffy sighed, taking Faith's offered hand and shaking it firmly. "I thought you wanted a chance," she said, smiling softly. "Will's giving you the chance, so I'm willing to back off. But…"

"I've got it, B!" Faith interrupted her, squeezing her hand hard. "Just trust me."

The blonde nodded, grinning after a moment. "So, did she tell you I was coming, or not?"

Faith snorted, shaking her head. "You really think I would have let you deck me if I knew you were coming?"

"I guess not," Buffy conceded, tilting her head to look more closely at Faith's jaw, the spot where she'd hit her already starting to bruise. "Damn it, she's going to be able to tell I hit you," she complained.

Faith laughed, poking at the tender spot. "You told her you wouldn't hit me? Liar!"

"No, I just said I wouldn't hurt you," Buffy clarified. "Which you and I both know that I didn't. I could have broken your jaw if I'd wanted to!"

"But you haven't seen me play pitiful," Faith said, cracking her neck to either side. "I can have Will on my side like _that_," she claimed, snapping her fingers. She grinned devilishly. "And you should see her when she's all concerned and playing nurse…so hot…" She rubbed her jaw contemplatively. "You might have done me a favor, actually."

Buffy glared at her, cracking the knuckles of both hands as she clenched her fists. "You are _so_ dead," she stated flatly.

"Nope! Stop it!" Willow interjected suddenly, her sudden arrival drawing both of the Slayers' attention. "Buffy…" She stepped between the pair and pushed each of them back. "What's going on in here?" she asked, all of them knowing exactly what had been going on.

"She said…" Buffy started to protest.

Willow cut her off with a lifted hand. "She was messing with you," she reminded her friend flatly. "And it obviously worked," she complained, leaning over to inspect Faith's jaw. She turned the Slayer's head with one hand to look more closely. "And don't even smirk, Faith. I know you antagonized her."

Faith didn't listen, smirking as she slid one arm around Willow's waist to pull her closer. "Babe, come on, Will. Don't be mad." She leaned her head down to meet the redhead's eyes, kissing her quickly. Her hands slid around to cup the witch's butt, pulling her firmly against herself. "Don't be mad," she repeated softly, scattering slow kisses across her lover's neck.

Willow shoved at her shoulder half-heartedly and Buffy started pacing behind her, growling in her throat. "Will…"

"I know, Buffy," the witch cut her off. "You're both twelve years old."

"That makes what we did last night illegal," Faith pointed out with a laugh.

"Faith," Buffy growled. "As soon as Will's out of the way, you're dead!"

Willow rolled her eyes, shoving the dark-haired Slayer's shoulder again. "Stop it. Buffy has a problem hearing about…the stuff we do…"

"Oh, come on!" Faith protested. "You call it 'the stuff we do' and _I'm _the one who's twelve?"

Willow leaned back to give her a stern look, unintentionally pressing herself more firmly into Faith's hands. Buffy could only choke as her fellow Slayer squeezed her best friend's butt before lifting her up. Willow instinctively curled her legs around Faith, rolling her eyes even as she did so.

"I'm not doing this," the redhead stated flatly. "I'm not going to be another reason that you guys fight. Call me once you work it out." She looked around, but her legs were still around Faith and the Slayer made no move to put her down. Faith shrugged as the witch gave her a look. "Put me down, Faith."

"If I put you down, B's going to hit me," Faith reasoned. "And I like you just where you are, actually." She bounced Willow lightly in her arms and the witch rolled her eyes again.

"Okay, I know I said that I didn't want you two to fight, but I'm over it," Willow declared. "Knock yourselves out. Just put me down so I can get out of the way. And don't break any bones, please." Neither Slayer moved and she kicked her heels against Faith's back lightly. "Seriously, put me down."

Faith lowered her to the floor, keeping her hands on her hips. She looked more hesitant, sharing a look with Buffy. "Will, babe, Willow… we're just goofing around." Buffy snorted and Faith narrowed her eyes at her, shaking her head. "Hey, come on, B! You're getting me in trouble here!"

"I think you're doing that on your own," Buffy commented, her arms crossed over her chest. Willow took a few steps back, clearing the space between the Slayers. The witch leaned back against the wall, gesturing for them to get on with it. "Alright, no, Will, we're not going to fight. I was…being a little too sensitive. I just want to make sure that you're going to be okay." She took a deep breath. "And as much as I hate to admit it, Faith really does care about you. I'm not going to stand in the way."

"That's why you hit me before I even said anything?" Faith shot back before she realized that she was goading herself back into a fight with her fellow Slayer. "Um, I mean… cool?" she tried hopefully.

Willow just looked back and forth between the pair, sighing heavily. "Are you guys serious about this, or not?"

"No, it's serious," Faith stated quickly, raising her eyebrows and nodding her head. "We've got a truce, right Buffy?"

The blonde nodded as Willow gave her a questioning look, smiling reassuringly. "Sorry, Will. Cut us some slack, okay?"

Willow relented, nodding. "You know you're both children, right?"

The Slayers both looked at each other, grinning and then nodding. On an unspoken signal, they both moved forward simultaneously, pinning Willow in between them and lifting the witch into a suspended group hug. Willow laughed, her arms pinned at her sides. "We all friends again?" Buffy asked, grinning.

"Sure, as long as you and Faith aren't at each other's throats," Willow said.

"Just don't let me hear about any…you know, sex stuff," the Slayer requested. "It's just too weird… you and Faith… I can't know…anything." They put Willow down slowly, eyeing each other hesitantly, neither entirely willing to put away their familiar animosity. The redhead cleared her throat to draw their attention and they both looked at her.

"We're good," Faith reaffirmed, making an effort to grin cheerfully. "Promise."

"Good," Willow declared. "Buffy, you're okay? No more freaking out and being overprotective?"

The blonde nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Promise. And I think I did okay with this, considering," she said, gesturing between the pair.

"Because you reacted _great_!" Faith pointed out, shoving Buffy's shoulder good-naturedly.

Buffy started to push her back, but thought better of it when Willow raised an eyebrow at her, the blonde's arm dropping around her friend's shoulder instead. "I didn't go catatonic! Xander might be drooling over there! On my carpet!" Buffy grimaced. "When I left to come over here he still hadn't spoken." She gave the pair a stern look. "You two might have broken him…"

Faith just looked impressed with herself and Buffy and Willow rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Don't look so proud of yourself," Willow chided.

"Why shouldn't I? You know I'm _damn_ good at what I do," Faith returned, giving her an apologetic smirk as Buffy gagged.

"I do know that, but I need you to stop bragging about it because I need you both to help me with something…" They each gave her affirmative nods, both eager to show how willing they were to cooperate and play nicely, and she sighed. "We have to talk to Xander about this…"


	2. Chapter 2

This was going to be them talking to Xander, but I couldn't work out anything I liked, instead I ended up with this... hope you guys like it! And thank you again to darkredwillow! You're awesome!

* * *

Willow was laying on her back on the couch, reclined against the armrest while she read. She blinked in surprise as Faith jogged in and dropped a brown paper bag in her lap. "Uh, Faith, babe, what's this?" She sat up and turned the bag over in her hands.

Faith was shrugging out of her jacket and seemed to be deliberately avoiding her eyes. "Um…just open it," she said gruffly, hanging her coat on the back of the door. She finally looked up when she hopped over the other end of the couch, balancing on her toes on the opposite sofa cushion.

Willow opened the bag hesitantly, not sure what could be inside, but curious to find out. She couldn't have been more surprised to find a scarf folded up inside and she pulled it out hesitantly. "Faith, what…?"

The Slayer looked nervous, shrugging. "I just… I didn't… We've been…whatever we're doing, it's been happening now for three months. I figured… It's a scarf," she finished lamely, waiting for a reaction and obviously expecting a negative one.

Willow shook it out of the bag, surprised by the gesture. "You remember when this started?" she asked, unexpectedly touched. "That's sweet."

Faith pushed her hair back out of her face, her knees curling up into her chest. "It's stupid. It's just a dumb scarf. I just figured, cause you get cold, and stuff…"

"Thank you, Faith. It's really pretty," Willow said, curling it around her neck. "Hang on a second. I'll get yours."

Faith blinked, smiling tentatively. "You got me something?"

Willow nodded, putting down her book as she stood up. Despite her reluctance to identify their relationship by standard dating terms, she'd still picked up a present for Faith and tucked it in the drawer of her stuff that had somehow migrated into Faith's apartment over the last three months. She found the box under a t-shirt, and brought it back into the other room, tossing it to Faith and leaning in the doorway while the Slayer opened it.

She looked pleased to see the black leather strapped watch, and she pulled it out of the box straightaway and put it on. "This is great, Will," Faith said hoarsely. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Willow replied.

The Slayer stood up, admiring her new watch. "Really, this is great," she said. "Makes me feel bad I only got you a stupid scarf."

Willow looked down at her new scarf, playing with the ends in both hands. "Don't feel bad. It's great. And I really did need one. I get cold a lot."

"I know that," Faith commented, teasing her. "Especially your toes." Her arms curled around Willow's waist, pulling her off the wall and up against her.

"Not all the time," Willow teased right back, letting her feet follow Faith back toward the bed.

* * *

Buffy was sorting through the mail when her front door opened, letting Willow in. "Hey Will, what's up?" she asked, looking up as her friend started pacing just inside. "Is there something wrong?" The last she had heard from her best friend she was going to Faith's, but that had been before lunch and it was closing in on sundown.

The witch gave her a panicked look, not stopping her anxious walking. "Faith remembered our anniversary."

Buffy frowned, confused. "And that is a bad thing?" Willow just threw her arms up in the air, still pacing. "I'm not sure what's going on… And you and Faith have an anniversary? I thought you were avoiding terms like that…"

"I didn't bring it up! She just came home and dropped this bag in my lap and there was a scarf in it, and she was talking about our _whatever-it-is _and how it's been three months, and I have no idea what to do, Buffy!"

Willow was obviously panicking and Buffy stepped in her friend's way and caught her shoulders. "Willow! Calm down! You're just freaking out," she said with a laugh. "Come on, let's sit down and figure this out."

"Can we drink while we figure it out?" Willow entreated.

Buffy nodded, surprised by the request. "Sure. Wine or beer?"

"Whichever is less pathetic," the witch answered.

She was laying on the couch when Buffy came back, wine and two glasses in one hand. "Sit up," Buffy directed, pouring her a glass and handing it over as she settled on the other side of the couch. "Now, in as non-insane a way as possible, tell me what is going on with you, please…"

"Faith… it's just freaking me out that she remembered. I mean, it was supposed to be this not serious sex thing…"

"Less of that, please," Buffy reminded her, taking a sip of her wine.

"She's not the person she used to be," Willow said. "Which is good, but it's _confusing._"

Buffy laughed. "You don't think you might have had something to do with her being different? You're a good influence on her, Will." She cleared her throat. "And I never thought I'd say this, but she's good for you too, I think." Willow blinked at her friend over the top of her already half-empty wine glass. "I know! I'm surprised too! It's just….after Tara…" Willow's whole body stiffened and Buffy gave her a sympathetic smile as she reached forward to touch her friend's knee. "You'll always love Tara. And Faith knows that. What you have with her is different, but that's okay. It doesn't mean you love Tara any less, or that you don't care about Faith."

"It's weird to think about comparing the two of them," Willow said, draining her glassing and pouring herself another one.

"It really is," Buffy agreed. "But as different as they are, they have one thing in common, Will…"

"You don't have to say it," Willow said quickly. "And Faith doesn't…"

"No, probably not like Tara did, but she _does _care about you," the Slayer said seriously. "It's pretty obvious from how she is with you. And honestly, I'm surprised that you're the one who's been running from this…I figured it would be her."

"I'm not running!" Willow said, frowning. "I got her a watch! She got me a scarf and I got her a watch! Three months! It's only been three months!"

She was clearly starting to panic again and Buffy squeezed her knee gently, moving closer on the couch. "Shh, it's okay, Will! I'm not accusing you of anything. At least, I'm not trying to. Believe me - I know all about being hesitant to get into a relationship! And I don't blame you. Losing Tara…it broke you." Willow winced and Buffy's hand moved to her cheek, lifting her friend's face, eyes sympathetic. "And you're still trying to put yourself back together, but I'll tell you something - you probably won't ever be the person you were with her again. That person died when she did."

Willow swallowed hard, her eyes haunted. "I know you're trying to help, but this isn't the most encouraging conversation I've ever had."

"It's not a bad thing," Buffy said, trying to explain herself. "You'll just be a different person, not a worse person."

"I think we all pretty much know where my low point is," Willow said bitterly, taking another long drink.

"Hey! You're not that person anymore either!" Buffy stated, feeling protective of Willow, even from herself. "You and Faith, both of you have had darkness in you, but you've both overcome it. And both of you might not trust yourselves yet, but we do. Faith's really got her head screwed on the right way this time. And she's got you… That gives her a lot of credit in my book." She gave her best friend a small smile. "Willow Rosenberg doesn't fall for just anybody."

"Don't say it like that!" Willow requested, pointing her finger in Buffy's face, the blonde's eyes crossing to focus on the tip of the finger.

She noticed that it was trembling, and she lowered her gaze to look at the now mostly-empty wine bottle. "Whoa, Willow, how many of those have you had?"

Willow blinked, trying to think. "I don't remember," she declared finally. "Why?"

The Slayer laughed suddenly, shaking her head. "Oh, I think you're a little drunk, my friend." She stabilized the witch as she wobbled on the couch cushion. "Come on, I think it's time for you to get to bed."

Willow shook her head, free hand pushing at her hair. "No! I need to talk to Faith! I need to tell her that I'm not running! I just got freaked out! She was sleeping and I just _left_ and now I'm drunk!"

"Maybe you should sleep it off before you talk to Faith," Buffy suggested. "I'll call her so she knows you're okay, and you can go up to your room and get working on your hangover."

"No! I have to see her! Tonight! Now! She can't think that I'm running away! She remembered that we have an anniversary and it's _weird_! That's all!"

Buffy smiled, trying to appease her. "We can call her on the phone…"

"No!" Willow protested again, wobbly hand barely getting her wineglass onto the coffee table before she was pushing herself to her feet. "I'm going to see her." Her voice was loud and Buffy caught her friend before the witch overbalanced herself.

"Okay, okay, just slow down," the Slayer said reassuringly. "I'll drive you over there. How about that?" Willow considered the offer for a long moment, nodding finally. "Great," Buffy sighed, one arm around the witch's waist to keep her upright.

Faith was surprised by the thumping knock on the door a little while later, tossing her magazine on the couch as she went to answer it. Willow was draped across Buffy's back on the other side of the door, and Faith moved to help her with her burden. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, confused. "She's not hurt?"

"No," Buffy assured her. "She's actually more than a little tipsy." Her counterpart Slayer looked surprised, and Buffy shrugged as they deposited the witch on the couch. "She came over and we had some wine."

Faith frowned, still not sure what was going on. "So why didn't she just crash at your place? Her bed's there, and you wouldn't have had to drive her out here."

"She wanted you," Buffy said quietly, resting one hand on Faith's shoulder. "Good job remembering," she said, squeezing her friend's shoulder once before she let her hand drop and she left, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

Faith was left staring down at a now apparently sleepy Willow and she took a deep breath, smiling fondly since there was no one to see the weak spot Willow had wormed her way into. "Come on," she muttered, leaning over to lift the witch into her arms.

Willow stirred as she was moved, head rocking against Faith's shoulder. "Where we going?"

"Bed, babe," the Slayer answered her. "You're drunk."

"I'm not running!" Willow declared loudly, causing Faith to wince as the sound went straight into her ear.

"No, you're not running. I'm carrying you and you're going to sleep." She nudged the bedroom door open with a foot, causing it to creak as it swung open and Willow jumped at the noise. She roused again as Faith put her down in the bed, wrapping both arms around the Slayer's neck and holding her where she was.

"Faith, I'm not running anymore, Faith!" she stated, appearing to wait for a response to that.

Faith still had no idea what was going on, but she nodded gamely. "Okay, well that's great, Will. Really great…" Willow was trying to sit up, earnestly trying to get her attention, and Faith pushed her back down gently and climbed onto the bed with her, trying to get her settled down. "I'm right here. You wanted me and I'm right here. Just lay down," she coaxed. Willow flopped onto her side without letting go of Faith's shoulders.

"No running," Willow slurred, her eyes closing.

It took a few minutes, but Willow's arms grew heavy as she surrendered to sleep, and Faith slipped free of her hands. Willow curled up around a pillow, Faith noticing that it was the one she slept on, but it appeared that she was tranquil. The Slayer got the witch's shoes off without waking her, tucking her in before she got out of her clothes and into the boxers and tank top she slept in.

The lights from the street outside left a glow in the bedroom and it was easy to see even after she turned off the lights in the apartment. She turned the blinds down to make it darker, able to hear Willow shift under the sheets, the redhead releasing her pillow when the Slayer got back in the bed to replace it with Faith herself.

Even with the blinds closed, the light was overwhelming the next morning, Willow turning over with a groan and dragging the sheets up over her head. "What's that noise?" she grumbled, curling up as small as she could.

"That's rush hour traffic," Faith answered, Willow noticing that her partner was almost obscenely cheerful for it being so early and so freaking loud outside.

"Make it stop!" Willow groaned, poking her head out from under the covers to glare before she jerked the blankets up over her head again.

"Hey!" Faith protested with a laugh. "Don't look at me like that! Buffy's the one who got you drunk!" She sat down on the edge of the bed, swatting the witch's leg through the blankets. "I'm the one who put you to bed and who's taking care of you now."

Willow's head reappeared slowly, leaning herself up on one arm. Faith handed her a steaming mug of coffee, mixed the way she liked it, and Willow took a grateful sip. "Thanks Faith." She sat up, cradling the mug in her hands. "Was I really bad last night?"

The Slayer shook her head, remembering the witch's strange behavior. "No, not really. You said some weird stuff about running, and you dragged Buffy over here even though you could have just stayed at the house." She grinned to mask her own nervous curiosity. "I guess you missed me."

"I guess I did," Willow agreed slowly. "Sorry if I interrupted whatever you were doing last night."

Faith shrugged. "No worries. I was just chilling."

Willow glanced at her shyly, sensing that there was something Faith wasn't saying. She tried to focus, trying to remember what had happened the previous night. Another sip of coffee helped, hazy memories floating back to the surface. "Oh…" she said as she remembered, blushing. "Faith, I'm sorry I went so nuts."

"It wasn't that bad," she protested. "You're kind of a cute drunk." She started to mention what Willow had been saying about running, but she stopped herself, not sure she wanted to know.

Willow cleared her throat, looking around as she put her coffee cup down on the tray table that served as Faith's bedside table. "Listen, about last night…"

"Don't…" Faith interrupted her. "I shouldn't have given you that scarf. It was stupid, and it freaked you out and it was a dumb…" Willow kissed her to stop the words, one hand curling around the back of her neck to keep her from pulling away.

"Just listen," Willow whispered as they separated, kissing her again softly. She leaned back, trying to gather herself. "When… Tara died and it killed me," she whispered, voice choking up. "I didn't want to be happy anymore without her. It was comforting and distracting being with you, but I didn't expect anything more." Faith sighed heavily, eyes dropping, gaze darting back and forth across the wrinkled and bunched sheets of their bed. "That's why I freaked out yesterday. Because I _am_ happy with you, Faith. I never could have expected it, after everything that happened, but it's true."

The Slayer's surprise was clear on her face and she laughed. "You're still drunk from last night. I'm going to kill B for letting you…"

"I'm not drunk. I actually am really feeling that hangover," Willow interjected, smiling herself. "I really like being with you, Faith. I don't…is that enough?"

Faith nodded immediately. "Hell yeah. I know that I'm your rebound, Will. I've always known it. But I'm not gonna let you go over some stupid scarf."

"Whoa! What are you talking about?" Willow asked, frowning. "I know I've been hesitant about all of this, and I pulled away yesterday, and I'm _sorry_, but where are you getting this?" She leaned over to meet the Slayer's eyes. "You think you're just my rebound?"

"Aren't I?"

"No! That's never even crossed my mind! Why would you think that?"

Willow seemed annoyed, tense, and Faith frowned. "Why wouldn't I think that? I'm not good enough for you, and I know you still love Tara." Willow's mouth dropped open, but they both knew it was true, that any protest she made would be false. "Hey, it's good! From what B's told me, she was pretty much the love of your life. She was murdered and that's something that you won't get over. I don't expect you to. Something like that you just live through. And I could never replace her." She tried a weak smile. "I'm not saying it so you'll think I'm getting down on myself. You love her. You like me. At least, I hope you like me. At the very least you like sleeping with me…" She grinned and it drew a chuckle from the witch.

"I like you, Faith," Willow whispered.

The Slayer sat up straighter, taking a deep breath. "Great. That's all we need right now, Will. You think it's just you, but neither of us could deal with more right now. You wouldn't be wrong if you thought that this is the most serious relationship I've ever been in," she confessed, the honesty surprising even in the light of the conversation they'd been having. "We're good where we are, aren't we?"

Willow nodded quickly, relieved that they were getting out of the sensitive emotional topics. "Yes! I'm really happy with how we are now, Faith!" One hand rose to her temple, rubbing lightly.

"Headache?" Faith guessed. "Lay back down and I'll make you some breakfast."

Willow shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. Would you…" She shifted uncomfortably, shy.

Faith was surprised by the burst of shyness after everything they'd been talking about, but she found it completely endearing and she laid down without speaking, stretching one arm out to guide Willow into her arms. The witch let out a deep breath and Faith pressed a kiss to the top of her head, arm curling around the redhead's shoulder. For the first time in a long while, they were both comfortable. It wasn't anything either one of them were used to, but both of them reflected silently that it was definitely an adaptation they could make.


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy could feel the blood running down the back of her neck, as well as sliding down her cheek as she walked slowly up the front steps into her house. A blink sent it into her eye and she growled in frustration. The doctors hadn't wanted to let her leave the hospital, but she needed to find Willow before she could rest again. She was limping, her ankle throbbing, and it didn't look like the witch was on the ground floor of the house. She surveyed the stairs, but her battered body couldn't muster the energy to climb them.

"Willow!"

The hoarse call brought immediate results, the redhead rushing downstairs. "Buffy, I was looking fo-…what happened to you?" the witch questioned, steadying her friend. She'd come to the house looking for the two elder Slayers after having gotten finished with training and being unable to find either one of them. And the sight of her best friend, the strongest Slayer in the world, beaten and bloody, was immediately scary. And Faith wasn't there at all…

"Demons," the Slayer answered simply. "That's not what… I'll be fine," she said. "I've already been in the hospital. I need to tell you something, Will."

The way she said it made Willow's blood run cold, her hand stiffening and squeezing her friend's wrist. "What? She's not…" They both knew what the witch was asking and Buffy shook her head.

"She's not dead," she said reassuringly. "And she's not going to… It's not good though, Willow… You need to get to the hospital as soon as you can. She's been asking for you."

The witch looked anxious and distracted, but she nodded as she focused on her best friend. "Are you coming back to the hospital with me?" The Slayer took a deep breath, but it caused a wince and she nodded. "Good," Willow said, curling a supportive arm around the blonde's waist. "Let's go." She was keeping her calm, but Buffy could feel her friend's anxiety right below the surface.

Willow had barely gotten Buffy onto a gurney before she was rushing to find Faith's room. There were a few others in the ward with her, but they were all too out of it to notice her bursting in. Faith looked over though, her head rolling against the pillows, and she mustered a weak smile. "There you are," she said tiredly, coughing. "B said she was going to get you, before…"

"You are _not_ going to die," Willow hissed between gritted teeth as she leaned over the bedside. She met the Slayer's brown eyes straight on. "You hear me?"

Faith shifted against the stiff hospital sheets, a groan of pain slipping out as she laughed. "Someone's bossy today," she joked. "I wish I could take advantage."

"You can wait," Willow said, marveling that the Slayer could speak at all under the mass of bruises on her face. "Where the hell were you? Why didn't you take me with you if it was going to be dangerous?"

Faith frowned lightly, brow furrowing underneath the puffy swollenness. "Because it was so dangerous," she said, obviously thinking that it should have been plain. "Better me than you."

"I could have _helped _you, Faith!" Willow responded, struggling to keep her voice down when she was suddenly so angry. "Buffy's my best friend! And you…" she trailed off uncertainly, still not comfortable putting what she had with Faith into traditional terms. "Neither one of you said _anything_ to me! I would have gone with you!"

Faith coughed and Willow couldn't help relenting, holding a cup of water in position for her to drink. She was breathing hard when she finished her drink, but splinted fingers caught Willow's wrist. "I'll live," she stated, but her voice was weak and the visuals were less than convincing.

"Maybe not after I get you home," Willow warned her, eyes narrowing. "And Buffy…!"

Faith laughed, the sound becoming a wheezing cough. "As long as I'm not the only one in trouble…"

"You should have taken me with you!" Willow said, teeth grinding. "She should have gotten me. _You _should have gotten me!"

"It was dangerous, babe. I didn't want to get you hurt," Faith protested.

"That doesn't matter, Faith! I'm the leader of the Wicca teams! I should have been consulted before either one of you went in! You deliberately cut me out!"

"Are you trying to pull rank on me?" Faith asked in disbelief, pushing herself up against the pillows with a restrained groan of pain. "Because we can play that game, Rosenberg!" The movement made her monitor beep faster, and the bandage on her forehead grew dark with fresh blood.

A nurse responded to the machine's summons and Willow had to back off, her annoyance wilting as she took stock again of Faith's many injuries. "What all is wrong with her?" she asked the nurse, knowing that Faith would just make a joke if the question was directed at her.

The nurse consulted her chart, reading. "Two cracked ribs on the right side, another two on the left. Fracture in the left femur. Three broken fingers in the right hand. Severe lacerations all over. Four stitches were required for the cut over her eye. And a concussion," she ended.

"Of course," Willow murmured, glaring over the professional's shoulder at the Slayer. "With all of these injuries, how long is the expected healing time?"

"Oh, she'll be in casts for several weeks," the nurse said promptly. "Given the extent of the breaks, at least eight."

Faith shook her head from behind the nurse, immediately dismissing that diagnosis. Willow's eyes pinned her and the witch could feel her anger return. If the Slayer hadn't been foolhardy and cocky, she wouldn't be in here at all. "Thank you," she said, dismissing the nurse.

"How pissed are you?" Faith asked after the silent staring match dragged on and started to make her uncomfortable. Willow didn't answer, just glared, and she took a deep breath, ignoring the shooting pain that sent through her chest. "Okay, so…pretty damn pissed." Willow nodded, arms crossing over her chest. "Okay, that's fair, but just remember…"

"Don't tell me that you won't take that long to recover," Willow interjected heatedly. "The point is, _Faith,_ that you left me behind in some misguided attempt to protect me and ended up nearly getting yourself killed!"

"We got the demon," Faith pointed out. Willow's eyes narrowed, only slightly comforted by the news.

"You could have _died_," Willow hissed at her, realizing that her fists were shaking at her sides.

Faith let her own reactionary instincts take over, letting herself get mad in response. "And why's that piss you off so much?" she demanded. "I did what I thought was the best move. To keep you safe! Because you being in this bed instead of me would have killed me!" Willow didn't have a response to that and Faith continued. "I made a promise to take care of you. Whatever that takes, I'm going to do it," she stated. "And I don't care if you're mad at me about it."

Willow was still angry, anxious worry becoming annoyance at her partner's stubbornness. "You don't have to protect me, Faith!"

"But I'm going to!" the Slayer shot back without thinking. "You're not invested in this, in us, but I am!"

Willow blinked, completely stunned by the honest confession. She knew she'd held back from their relationship, scared of giving into how she felt about the Slayer, but she had no idea that it had hurt Faith like it obviously had. "Faith…"

"No," she protested. "I didn't…don't say anything…" Faith was granted a reprieve as Buffy joined them. "On your feet already, B?" Willow was silent, mouth hanging open. "I might not be so lucky."

Buffy frowned, one hand on her fellow Slayer's shoulder. "Why not? You already look better than when I left. If they don't release you in the next day or so, the doctors are going to get pretty suspicious."

"It's not the doctors I'm worried about," Faith said, eyes shooting up toward Willow.

Buffy looked between the pair, still frowning. "Did something happen here?" she asked slowly. "Will?"

"I've gotta go," the witch said dully, backpedaling blindly.

The Slayers were left staring after her and Buffy cleared her throat. "What happened, Faith?" She tried to keep her voice from being accusatory, not wanting to be judging until she got a clue about what had happened.

Faith frowned, hitting the heel of her hand against her forehead only to groan when she hit a bandage on her face. "I'm in love with her, Buffy," she confessed, eyes closed as she waited for a reaction. None came and she cracked open one eye hesitantly.

"Am I supposed to be surprised by that not unknown bombshell?" Buffy questioned, arching an eyebrow at her with a slow smile.

"She was," Faith said quietly.

Buffy's eyes widened and her smile faded as she looked between Faith and the door where Willow had departed so suddenly. "Faith… I'm sorry. I'll talk to her."

"No. I didn't exactly say it. I just…implied that I was more invested in our whatever than she is," Faith said, knowing exactly why Willow had run. They'd been together for six months, but the redhead had yet to acknowledge Faith as her girlfriend, or admit to being serious about their relationship. That didn't mean that she wasn't affectionate with her partner, or that it wasn't clear to everyone else how the pair felt about each other. It appeared to just be something that Willow wasn't prepared to say.

"That might not have been your best move," Buffy conceded with a laugh. "I'll go after her."

Faith shook her head, shifting with a groan. "No. I'll deal with it when I get out of here." She swallowed hard. "I shouldn't have said anything." Buffy took a seat next to the bed, trying to be supportive. "I've been trying to give her time, space, everything she wants, but I know she's not going to love me."

Buffy frowned, leaning forward with elbows on her knees. "She's scared, Faith. You've been really patient with her, but just give her a little more time. Will's been through a lot. And I didn't really think so at the beginning, but you're good for her. Don't let her push you away, though."

"I'm not going anywhere," Faith stated. "She's not getting rid of me unless she can actually bring herself to acknowledge our whatever enough to dump my ass."

Buffy grinned ruefully, clapping Faith's shoulder without thinking. "Good." She grimaced as Faith groaned. "Sorry about that."

"No worries," Faith wheezed, trying to shake it off. "I'll be out of here tomorrow."

"What about what the doctors said?"

The Slayer shook her head, determined. "You know how it is for us," she said. "I'll get out of here first thing in the morning."

Buffy gave her a nod. "Do you want me to talk to Will?"

Faith considered. Having Buffy on her side would only help her case with Willow. She finally shook her head. "No. Thanks though. I want to talk to her myself."

The blonde nodded again, smiling as she stood up. "You got it. Sorry if us going out without her started this."

"It was coming up anyway. We were due for a fight," Faith said with a shrug. "I'll take care of it."

Buffy turned to go, hesitating in the doorway. "Make her cry and I might have to make you bleed."

"I'll keep that in mind," Faith said with a tired laugh. "It's not part of my plan, though."

* * *

Faith was moving slowly as she mounted the stairs to her apartment, one side braced on a crutch and her fingers fumbled with the key as she entered. There was movement in the bedroom and Willow appeared with one of Faith's rolled t-shirts in her hands. She dropped it as soon as she saw Faith, moving to help her immediately. "What are you doing here?" the witch demanded.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Faith countered, limping as Willow led her to the couch. She caught sight of the open duffle on her bed and she frowned. "You leaving me?" she asked, groaning as she tried to relax into the seat.

Willow looked surprised, glancing over her shoulder toward the bedroom. "What? No! I was… They're your clothes. I was going to bring them to you at the hospital."

"Oh," Faith said, letting out a deep breath. "Well, they sprung me," she said unnecessarily.

Willow fussed with the crutch, obviously uncomfortable. "Oh, good. Do you need anything? Can I do anything for you?" she chattered nervously.

Faith sighed, looking up at her. "If you're going to leave, just tell me," she said, voice rough. "I might not look like it right now, but I can handle it. I'm going to have to insist that you actually say it, though, Will. You can't just walk out and never come back."

"I'm _not_ leaving!" Willow protested. "You scared the hell out of me, Faith! I thought you were going to die!" She could feel the tears start, but couldn't stop them. "I thought you were going to die and I can't do it again! I love Tara and she gets killed. I love you and you don't come home and then Buffy tells me to get to the hospital… I can't do it again, Faith! I can't stand by and watch someone else I love die!" She poked the Slayer in the middle of the chest, caught up in her overwhelming emotional reaction. "You should have told me where you were going!"

Willow spun away from her, sobbing bitterly as she tried to regain control of herself. Faith pushed herself up slowly, moving gingerly. Her broken hand was splinted, but she wrapped it around Willow's waist from behind, the redhead breathing hard. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Shh…"

"Don't shush me," Willow ordered, swallowing deep bursts of air as she tried to calm down. "Faith…"

"I'm not sushing you, baby. I'm trying to take care of you. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, you did!" She spun back around to face her, and Faith kept both arms curled around her to keep her from either running away or hitting her again. "You scared me, Faith. I thought I was going to lose you."

"And apparently you love me," Faith pointed out thoughtlessly and causing Willow to stiffen in her arms. "Oh, jeez, I didn't mean that! You weren't thinking, and it just came out. It doesn't mean anything…"

Willow frowned against her neck, dropping her arms and stepping back out of Faith's grip. Her expression was guarded and Faith sighed heavily. "You…"

"I can't say anything right anymore!" the Slayer complained. "I'm not trying to push you, Willow."

Willow shoved her back, glaring through reddened eyes. "You think I don't care about you?" she demanded, one hand rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

Faith wobbled on the edge of the couch and fell back with a groan of pain. "You care about me," she said through gritted teeth. "I know that. And I'm being honest, Willow - I'm not trying to push you to anything." She grimaced, pushing herself up. "But you…I've never felt…whether or not you love me, I love you." She wasn't looking at Willow anymore, eyes skittering across the floor, walls, ceiling, anywhere to avoid the rejection she was expecting. Willow wasn't ready for this. Willow couldn't love her. She had a great thing going, but here she was opening her mouth and ruining it.

Which is why she was surprised when Willow landed on her lap, the witch locking eyes with her. "I'm sorry if I just hurt you, but I need you to listen to me," she said quickly, taking a moment to shift her weight carefully so she wasn't pressing Faith's injured leg. "I know I haven't been really open with you, and it's not fair. But it's not your fault - it's me, it's my issue!"

"Willow, you don't have to make excuses with me. You lost the person you love…" Faith tried to let her off the hook, sure she was about to lose the person she loved.

"I did, and it's taken me a long time to deal with it and you've been so patient with me, Faith. But I think I've finally figured something out. Buffy's been trying to tell me, and you've been trying to avoid it in your attempt not to push me, but I've got it now. I love you. It's different than with Tara, and Tara was different than Oz, but that's not a bad thing! It's just a different thing! I mean, you - you're smarter than you give yourself credit for, smarter than you want people to know you are," she said with a grin. "And you know you're gorgeous," she continued, voice lower. Faith couldn't help laughing, one hand covering her injured ribs. "And you're funny! And strong. And you don't take crap from people. And you…"

Faith stopped her with another laugh, curling an arm around her shoulders gingerly. "I think I get the picture," she said weakly, tired. "And you can add to that list of yours that I'm not one to get too sentimental, so can I just say it back and go to bed? I'm beat, babe." Willow nodded, biting her lip as she started to climb carefully off the Slayer's legs. Faith caught her before she could move, drawing a questioning look from the witch. "You don't gotta run off," Faith said quietly. "And I didn't even say it yet…"

"You look like you're going to faint, Faith," Willow told her. "Let's get you up," she said, trying again to get off of her.

"Not yet," Faith said petulantly, broken hand on her partner's thigh to keep her from going. Willow stilled, smiling softly down at her. Faith drew in a deep breath, visually bracing herself, almost as if she was preparing herself for a battle.

"I'm not going anywhere," Willow said quietly. "Not anymore. But you don't have to say it." She leaned forward and kissed her, balancing her weight carefully on her knees. The kiss was slow, Willow curling both hands gingerly into Faith's hair. The Slayer's eyes stayed closed as the kiss ended, Willow getting to her feet slowly. It was clear that Faith wasn't going to be able to move far, the brunette breathing deeply as Willow kissed her forehead. "Come on," she whispered, hands moving the Slayer's crutch out of the way. "Let's lay you down," she coaxed, helping her partner stretch out on the sofa. One hand found the blanket spread across the back, the blanket she'd bought to bring some color into Faith's mostly drab living room, and she spread it out over the injured and bruised Slayer.

Faith stretched as best she could under the cover, eyes still closed, and her breathing starting to steady as she drifted closer and closer to the edge of sleep. Willow started to stand up, surprised when Faith's broken hand found her wrist. "Will…stay," she requested slowly, voice barely audible.

The witch leaned over to press another kiss to her forehead, smiling against her skin as the Slayer let out a sigh. "I love you, Faith," Willow whispered. It felt weird for a split second and then Faith's head was rolling back slowly, brown eyes blinking up at her, and she let out the breath she didn't realize that she'd been holding. Faith picked up her broken arm carefully, giving Willow room to slip under the blanket with her. The Slayer curled the injured limb across her hip gingerly, letting the witch tuck the covers around them. They were both silent and still for several minutes, relaxing into each other.

Faith waited until there could be no mistaking her words, saying it softly into Willow's ear. They weren't words she'd ever said to anyone else, at least not that she could remember. And they'd never meant anything until now. Willow didn't say it back, they both knew that this wasn't going to be the big, sweeping, emotional moment when the music swelled and their relationship became some 'sharing and caring' thing that they'd both been trying to avoid. Instead, she just let her eyes close, warm under the blankets and with Faith's body solid and steady behind her.

They were who they were, and this was what it was. Before this whatever-it-was had started, she'd have told anyone who suggested that she'd fall in love with Faith that they might want to have their heads examined, but now…

It was different, and definitely wasn't what she'd expected from Faith - from being with Faith, but it was good. That's all it had to be.


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you think we should get married?" The words were enough to make Willow choke and cough, her cereal sticking in her throat until Faith helpfully smacked her back.

"What?" Willow demanded when she could speak. "Are you crazy!"

Faith laughed, spinning the other chair around and straddling it backwards. "No! I'm not saying we should, I'm just kind of asking, I guess."

"Asking me…to marry you?" Willow questioned slowly, trying to figure out when the world had suddenly started turning the wrong way. She almost leaned back in her seat to check and see what color light the sun was giving off.

"No. I'm just asking …" Faith groaned, eyes rolling. "You make it damn hard to ask one simple question, woman," she chided. Willow's eyes were still wide, her cheeks red from coughing, and Faith continued quickly. "We've been together now for two years. Isn't it time to do…something?" she asked, her voice nothing but mildly curious, though she was starting to sound amused.

Willow let out a breath of relief, slumping weakly into her chair. "Okay, whew, okay…" She swallowed with a dry throat. "So you don't want to get married… you're just asking…"

Faith nodded matter-of-factly, smirking. "Yup. Which is exactly what I said before you spazzed out on me," she teased. Willow shoved her shoulder with as much energy as she could muster, blushing in embarrassment at her overreaction. "I mean, we started screwing, and then we just kept screwing, and then we had all the feelings and stuff, and we've been living together for a while, so I just wasn't sure what was next."

Willow faked swooning, one arm thrown over her eyes as she sprawled herself back into her chair. "I love when you tell the story of our relationship. It's like poetry!" She giggled and it ruined the illusion of her pretended breathlessness. "'And then we had all the feelings and stuff,'" she quoted, sniffling exaggeratedly. "That's beautiful!"

Faith swatted the side of her girlfriend's knee, laughing. "Smart ass," she accused. "I'm trying to ask a serious question and you're being all…"

Willow leaned forward, laughing happily. "You just came in and dropped this on me, Faith. It's kind of weird. What do _you_ think we should be doing next?" she asked, lilting her voice teasingly, hoping the Slayer would fill in the blank with something that wasn't a conversation about what they wanted from their life.

"You just want to screw," Faith said knowingly, tilting her chair forward onto two legs and meeting Willow as the witch leaned forward and kissed her slowly. "Luckily for you, I'm good with that," she declared, fingers wrapping themselves into the front of Willow's shirt to tug her closer.

* * *

Buffy frowned as she noticed that Faith was lingering in the yard after training, picking over the weapons the Slayers had left in a heap on the lawn. "What's your deal? You've been hanging around the last few days," she wondered as she started sorting her weapons out. "Is something going on?"

Faith hesitated, rotating the handle of an axe across her palm and executing a series of chops and jabs. She was obviously restless, and Buffy cleared her throat expectantly. "Have you seen Will lately?" Faith asked.

Buffy blinked, eyes wide. "What? This is about Will? I saw her yesterday. She was here for her meditation stuff with her squad, but she left after like normal. I assumed she was just going home to you." Faith was still slicing down invisible enemies and she didn't speak. "She didn't come home last night?" Buffy asked, completely surprised. "Have you seen her today?"

Faith nodded, shrugging. Her eyes hadn't looked toward Buffy, though. "She came in this morning, but she was in a hurry. She just took a shower and then was back out the door."

Buffy frowned, putting down the sword she'd picked up and crossing her arms across her chest. "Did something happen?" She'd gotten much more relaxed about Willow and Faith's relationship in the two years since it had started, able to see that her fellow Slayer was taking good care of her best friend, but the news that witch hadn't come home was odd enough to be alarming. And the way Faith was acting… "What happened, Faith?" she asked.

The dark-haired Slayer shrugged, still moving restlessly. Buffy let out a breath of frustration and stepped into her path. "I asked her about getting married," Faith finally admitted, groaning as Buffy's jaw dropped.

"You proposed?" Buffy yelped. "Are you insane?"

"Why is that the reaction whenever I say that!" Faith demanded in response. "And I _wasn't_ proposing! I was just asking… You know what? I'll just find her myself!"

She tried to storm off but was caught by Buffy. "No! Hang on! I didn't mean anything by it, Faith. I was just surprised. I mean, you don't want to get married, do you?"

"No, not really. I love her and all, but getting married was never real high on my list," Faith said honestly.

"So what made you think asking her about getting married was a good idea?" Buffy asked her. "Even if it was just hypothetical, you know how she is about stuff like that! It took her a year to admit that you two were doing more than just sleeping together! And it was _after_ she said that she loved you!"

"I remember!" Faith said, able to feel the tips of her ears burning. "I'm just trying to find her." She swallowed hard. "You don't think she…"

Buffy shook her head immediately, eyes narrowed. "No. And I know I've chilled out about you and her, but if you suggest for one second that Will might cheat on you, I'm going to beat you down."

"I'm not!" Faith clarified quickly. "It's just weird that she's not around. And she's been acting weird since…"

"Well, you _really_ shouldn't have said anything about that!" Buffy reminded her. "And I'm sure she was just out training, or meditating, or something like that. Nothing to worry about."

Faith sighed, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to relax. "Yeah, you're right. Sure."

In spite of her claims to the contrary, she still looked tense, and Buffy cracked her neck to either side, bouncing lightly on her toes. "Come on," she prompted. "Let's go a round. It'll make you feel better." She slugged her fellow Slayer on the shoulder sharply, ducking away from Faith's retaliatory swipe. "You can do better than that!" Buffy chided as she danced out of range. "You're telegraphing!"

Faith grinned and let herself go, throwing herself wholeheartedly into the fight. She and Buffy were as evenly matched as they ever had been and they couldn't help laughing as their scuffle took them all over the yard. It wasn't long before the noise of their fight drew some of the younger Slayers outside to watch, the girls lined up along the porch and leaning against the railing. The power and prowess of their elders was obvious in each movement, nothing wasted and each blow capable of shattering bone had they been able to land a solid hit against each other.

Willow wandered out to the porch as she arrived at the house, the witch frowning as she noticed what everyone else was watching. She found Xander in the group and she moved to join him. "Are they sparring, or are you scared to try and break them up?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest as she kept a careful eye on the dueling Slayers.

He shrugged, his own hands tucked in his pockets. "I missed the beginning, but I think they're just goofing around. I think there'd be more cursing from Faith if they were really going at it."

Willow let out a breath of relief, nodding. "Okay, good." She glanced up at her friend. "So you're just enjoying the view?" she asked, leaning her shoulder against the post next to her.

Xander's single eye blinked widely at her and he swallowed before he answered. "They're the ones who started fighting! And I'm single, lady! I can look wherever I want to!" She merely lifted an eyebrow slowly and he cleared his throat. "Which most definitely _wasn't_ at your girlfriend, because, duh, she's _not_ single! And Faith, I mean…"

Willow rolled her eyes, swatting his arm with the back of her hand. "Please stop before you go any further," she requested. Xander always seemed to bring up the fact that they'd both slept with Faith whenever he got nervous and the thought was one that she'd rather not have blurted out in front of all of the junior Slayers.

One of the Slayers let out a cheer as Faith landed a blow that spun Buffy to the ground. The blonde managed to get a retaliating kick up that caught the brunette under the chin. They both ended up sprawled on their backs in the grass with Willow and Xander pushing their way through the crowd to get to them.

Faith rolled and spit out blood from where her lip was now split. She flopped back in the grass, blinking up as Willow's worried face swam into view. "Hey. I've been looking for you," she said slowly, her head throbbing where she'd hit the ground.

Willow brushed dirt and sweat off the Slayer's face, on her knees next to Faith. Her eyes narrowed as Buffy sat up gingerly. "You alright, Faith?" Buffy asked, working her bruised jaw with one hand. She caught Willow's glare and shrugged minutely. "She started it!"

"No, I didn't!" Faith protested, trying to sit up before she was stopped by Willow's hand on her shoulder holding her on the ground. "She was…"

"She was all bummed out because you've been…"

"Hey!" Faith said loudly, cutting off Buffy's explanation and then grimacing when the exclamation pulled on her cut lip. "Less helpful, please," she requested, shooting a look at her counterpart Slayer.

Willow frowned, looking between her girlfriend and her best friend. "You two were fighting because of me? What do I have to do with this?"

"We weren't fighting, exactly," Buffy said thoughtlessly. "Just letting Faith work out some…" Faith was glaring at her, and she finished weakly, "Some problems. She's been dropping her shoulder before she throws a punch. It's making it really easy to see her moves coming."

Faith rolled her eyes, schooling her face quickly back to neutral when Willow gave them both suspicious glances. She clearly wasn't buying it, but she put her desire to question them on hold when she noticed that the other Slayers were still watching. "Let's get some ice on that lip," she said, moving her hand to help Faith to her feet while Xander helped Buffy up.

Faith let herself be pulled into the kitchen by one hand, her other hand slicing across her throat in a clear gesture of warning. Buffy shrugged and grimaced apologetically. She had a bruise rising on her cheek and Xander glanced down at her in confusion when she grabbed his wrist to keep him from following Willow and Faith back into the house.

With the fight over the other girls had dispersed, leaving the kitchen empty for them, though Faith couldn't help wishing one or two had stuck around to keep Willow from pushing about the cause of the fight between her and Buffy. The witch was quiet while she busied herself making an ice pack, the Slayer taking a seat at the kitchen table, her tongue poking at the inside of her busted lip.

"Does it hurt?" The question broke the silence and wasn't unexpected. Willow was always more concerned about her physical injuries than she was.

"Not bad. It's deep, though. That was a good kick she landed." Willow's pale hand appeared in front of her mouth, fingers curled around an ice cube, and she opened her mouth without thinking about it.

"Suck on this, but don't swallow the water if it's bloody," Willow directed, slipping the ice cube between the brunette's lips. The ice pack ended up on the back of her head, held in place as she leaned back in her seat. Willow took the chair beside her, turning it to face her, and there's another moment of silence before she spoke again. "Why were you fighting with Buffy?" she asked, her voice resigned. They both knew there was nothing she could do to keep the Slayers from fighting.

"It wasn't like that," Faith said, her voice distorted until she swallowed the melted ice water.

"But it wasn't what Buffy said either," Willow stated. "So what's going on? You're fighting because of me? What did I do?"

Faith glanced down, avoiding her eyes, and cleared her throat. "It's nothing. No big deal." She was starting to feel foolish about the fight, a feeling she distinctly hated, but it had succeeded in getting her mind off of Willow's curious absence and distance the last few days. That reprieve was clearly over.

"What's going on with you lately?" Willow asked, sighing as she leaned back in her own chair.

Faith looked up at that, her decision to leave it alone abruptly forgotten. "What's going on with _me_?" she demanded, the bag of ice falling to the floor at her feet as she stood up suddenly. "What about you? You disappeared on me two days ago! I've barely seen you since breakfast yesterday and we sleep in the same bed!" Faith could feel her head pounding, but she wasn't sure if it was a result of hitting the ground, or the sudden rush of blood pumping in the wake of her rapidly burning temper.

Willow frowned, standing up slowly. "If you've got something you want to say, just say it, Faith. We've been together too long for you not to be able to say what you mean…"

"You're avoiding me!" Faith took her up on the invitation, her voice getting louder even as she stepped into the redhead's personal space. "I said _one_ thing that freaked you out and you're running again," she accused. "It was a harmless question, but it's scared you and you're trying to leave."

Willow had to lean her head back just a little to meet her eyes and she felt her own anger rising to answer her lover. "You mention marriage and I'm running… That's what you think is going on here, Faith? Is that what you want? You want me gone?"

"Of course I don't!" Faith shot back. "And I don't really want to get married either, but you didn't even give me time to say that, just assumed…"

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Willow demanded incredulously. "I'm gone one night and, what, I'm sleeping with someone else? Is that what you think?"

The air was tense between them, mere inches separating them. They'd gravitated together during their confrontation without realizing it, until their chests were touching, both of them leaning into their argument. Before Faith could answer though, there was an interloper, a cheerful witch-in-training who skipped merrily into the room without noticing her elders' distraction. It wasn't until the new arrival spoke that Faith even registered her presence. "Oh, Willow, thank you so much for last night! It was just what I needed and you're just the best!" Willow was hauled away and into a hug, the new girl not appearing to notice or care that Willow didn't move to return the hug, just standing stiffly, her eyes locked on Faith until she was released. Then the girl was skipping out the backdoor and Willow was stopping a growling Faith from following her.

"Who's that girl? And what's she talking about?" Faith demanded, pointing after her while Willow's hands on her torso stopped her from running off in pursuit.

Willow shoved her back as Faith kept pressing forward, knowing that she wasn't strong enough to stop the Slayer if she put more than half an effort into getting away from her. She kept pushing until Faith was back in her chair, picking the ice pack up, ripping it open, and dumping it on her in a fit of frustration. "Are you going to run off and beat up some innocent kid, or are you going to let me talk?" she demanded, ignoring her partner's gasp of surprise as her chest and lap was doused in icy water.

"Damn it, Willow! That's cold!"

"Don't care! Sit down and shut up, Faith!" Willow ordered, yelling. Faith froze, staring at her for a long moment before she sat stiffly down in her seat. Willow took another moment to take a deep breath, trying not to react in anger. "First of all, jealousy is _really_ not attractive," she said, counting it off on her fingers. "Two, that girl is a student and a _child_, Faith!"

"You're only twenty-five," Faith pointed out, but she didn't say anything else as Willow pointed a stern finger at her.

"I'm talking now!" she rebuked her girlfriend. "She's sixteen and that's _not_ happening. And not only because it's illegal." She took one small step forward, making sure that the Slayer was looking at her. "Because I'm with _you_, Faith. And I love you." Faith blinked at the reminder, her anger wilting. "When you're not being a jealous ass," Willow added pointedly. "And, okay, you did mention marriage and I did freak out a little bit!" she admitted. "But that is not something I ever expected to hear from you and it freaked me out! The idea that I would cheat on you is just insane, though! And with her?"

"What were you doing with her last night, then?" Faith questioned, kicking herself before the words were even past her lips. Willow arched an eyebrow at her, obviously surprised that she had been interrupted again. "She said you were the best…" Faith pointed out, deciding to wade on in now that she'd already put it out there.

Willow rolled her eyes, one hand on her hip. "Best teacher," she said from between gritted teeth. "And one who goes _way_ over the call of duty!" Faith refrained from speaking, but her expression was expectant, waiting for an explanation. "Her boyfriend has been acting weird, can't imagine what _that's _like, and she needed to talk to someone, so I stayed out after training to talk it out with her. Imagine my surprise when I saw the clock and it was morning." She smirked, groaning. "Were we so dramatic when we were that age?" she asked hypothetically, both of them laughing as they thought back to when they were that young. It felt much longer than nine years ago. Their eyes met and she sighed, smile still on her lips. "Nothing happened, Faith," she said softly.

The Slayer got slowly to her feet, but didn't come closer, hands out to either side. "I'm an idiot," she said simply.

"True," Willow agreed immediately. "But I do love you."

"We good?" Faith checked.

Willow hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip as she stepped forward to check on Faith's lip. The Slayer didn't flinch when Willow touched her jaw gently and let the witch turn her head for inspection. The soft kiss was unexpected, but not at all unwelcome. Willow's lips were gone before she could react and she took a deep breath. "We're fine," Willow said quietly. "I'm thinking we should talk about the whole 'getting married' thing, though."

"I don't want to get married," Faith said simply. "And you don't either."

"No, I don't," Willow agreed, smiling as Faith's arms wound around her waist. "But you obviously had a point asking me about it. The rest of it just got kind of…misunderstood. So we've been together for two years…but we don't want to get married."

Faith nodded her agreement, grinning as Willow started to lean into her only to pull back suddenly. "What?"

"Your shirt's all wet," Willow reminded her.

"Whose fault is that?" Faith asked her pointedly. "Pouring water on me!"

"And you're obviously cold," Willow pointed out with a downward glance and smirk.

"Perve," Faith accused with a laugh. "Always bringing up sex when we're having a serious conversation."

Willow blinked, realizing suddenly that she had done that the last time Faith had brought this up. "Okay, you're not wrong about that, but we're doing it this time!"

"We did it last time," Faith said, smirking.

Willow shook her head quickly, taking a rapid step back. "No, not _that_," she disagreed quickly. "We're going to have this talk." She promptly sat down at the table, gesturing for the Slayer to retake her seat.

Faith looked down at her empty arms in dismay, but sat down willingly. "So we're not getting married and we're both good with that. And we've got a place together that's not my shitty apartment." She frowned in thought, obviously at a loss on the next step. "Got any ideas?"

Willow leaned forward, elbows on knees as she thought it over. "I'm assuming kids are just…"

"Yeah, no," Faith agreed. "That's…no." Their eyes met and they both laughed, shaking their heads in denial. "No."

"I'm guessing you're thinking 'no' on that one," Willow teased. "Which is _more _than fine with me!"

"What's your opinion on cats?" Faith asked.

Willow had a sudden burst of déjà vu, Faith's voice sounding soft and tremulous in her ears, and it took her a long moment to realize that the voice she heard in her head wasn't Faith's at all. The Slayer could see it on her face and she took a deep, steadying breath.

"You and Tara had a cat?" Faith questioned. "I didn't…I forgot, babe."

"You didn't know," Willow corrected her with a smile. "It's fine, Faith. Just some déjà vu." She reached forward and took her partner's hand gently, squeezing her fingers.

Faith smiled at her. "Well, what's your feeling about dogs?" She smirked to break the lingering oddness in the air between them. "You did date the wolf."

Willow laughed, digging fingernails into the Slayer's palm warningly. "Well, then we know how I feel about dogs, don't we? Because of course having a dog is just like dating a boy who happens to be a werewolf," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "What do you think about a dog?" she asked, smiling as she thought about it. They lived in a small duplex, but it had a yard and Buffy's house had a yard, so a dog wasn't a completely unreasonable idea.

Faith shrugged. "I always wanted one, but living in little apartments in Boston, it never happened. My mom always said no." The Slayer grinned, starting to get excited. "Are we serious about this? We want to get a dog?"

Willow could see her girlfriend's hopefulness and found herself completely unable to deny her. "Yeah, I think we do," she agreed happily.

"And we're all made up and everything? No more fighting?" Faith checked. "Cause, as you pointed out, someone poured water on me and I'm a little bit cold."

Willow blushed, biting her lip. "You weren't listening," she said sheepishly. "But I'm sure Buffy has some clothes you can borrow."

Faith stood up, grimacing at her wet jeans, the water soaked in enough to be sticking as she moved. Willow leaned her head back as Faith stepped up between her knees, accepting the kiss gratefully. She craned her head up to get closer, Faith's hands curling under her jaw to keep her there. They separated when Buffy cleared her throat from the doorway. "Everything good?" she checked, laughing as she noticed the obvious wet spot on Faith's chest.

"We're getting a puppy!" Willow announced cheerfully, her excitement almost childlike, and the Slayers exchanged smiles.

"That's great, Will!" Buffy said earnestly, glancing between the pair. "What kind of dog are you thinking about?"

The couple looked at each other, Faith shrugging. "I guess we should just go to the shelter and see what we see," Willow said, giving her a questioning look. "I'm guessing you like big dogs, don't you?"

Faith grinned, shrugging again. "I just like a dog that can take care of itself," she said. "And I don't want to smash it if I stepped on it," she added thoughtfully.

"Fine," Willow agreed with a smile. "Can we go today? After you change? Or are you two going to fight again?" she asked pointedly, looking between the pair of them.

Buffy and Faith exchanged looks, Buffy raising a questioning eyebrow. "We're good," Faith said. "Can I borrow a change of clothes, B? _Somehow_ mine got all wet."

The blonde Slayer nodded easily, gesturing toward the stairs. "You know where it is. I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some of your clothes up there already. You guys know how the laundry is here with so many girls around."

"Thanks, B," Faith said, holding the wet edge of her shirt away from her skin. "Chilly," she said, giving Willow a chiding look as she turned and jogged up the stairs.

Buffy kept her silence for a moment after her counterpart left the room, Willow looking over at her from her chair. "Go ahead and ask," the witch prompted. "I know you're going to."

Buffy didn't bother to deny it, just crossed the room to get a bottle of water from the fridge. "She was worried. I told her she was being crazy to even think anything was going on."

"We talked about that," Willow said, smirking. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Because she mentioned marriage and you disappeared for two days. She was worried," Buffy said and Willow would have sworn that she was being chided. "But of course you would never!" The witch took her rebuke without argument, and Buffy hesitated. "Are you guys getting married?"

Willow sent her a look, shaking her head. "You know we're not."

"Not ever?" Buffy asked, curious.

Willow shrugged, hands playing restlessly with wrinkles in her skirt. "I don't know, Buffy. Probably not. It's not really Faith's style to settle down."

The Slayer snorted, rolling her eyes. "Because she hasn't been living with you for the last two years? You two have a lease together!"

"I didn't saw we weren't committed! We're just not big on the ceremony part of it," Willow tried to explain. "We're doing great just the way we're going. We're getting a dog, and no marriage and no kids!"

Buffy laughed, nodding as she opened her water and took a long sip. "And that's what you want? No marriage and kids, just a dog?" she questioned, voice quiet.

Willow nodded slowly, reassuring her friend with a smile. "That's exactly what I want."

"And you're happy…."

The witch stood up from her chair and walked to stand in front of the Slayer. "I'm happy," she promised softly, standing up on her toes to press a kiss to Buffy's forehead. "But you're sweet to ask me every month."

Faith cleared her throat from behind them, her eyebrows raised. "See how I'm not getting jealous even though you kissed another woman?" she pointed out with a smirk on her lips. "I've grown, I think."

Buffy rolled her eyes but made a show of putting her arm around Willow's shoulders as the witch turned around to face her girlfriend. "That's important since you're going to be sharing her with a cute little doggy from now on," she said mock-seriously. She squeezed Willow teasingly, grinning as the witch rolled her eyes.

"Very mature, Faith," Willow agreed, moving to curl an arm through Faith's and kissing her cheek. "Thank you." She giggled suddenly. "Now let's go get a puppy!"

The Slayers exchanged glances, Buffy smiling fondly. "Sure thing, Will," Faith agreed. "Thanks for the clothes, B," she said as Willow pulled her toward the door by the hand. Behind the witch's back, her free hand was pointing from Willow to the blonde Slayer and then dragging across her own throat in a clear gesture of warning.

Buffy rolled her eyes and made an exaggerated kissing face back at her. She wasn't interested in Willow like that, but if it got under her counterpart's skin so easily she knew she could have some fun acting like she was.

In front of Faith Willow rolled her eyes as well, having caught the gesture from her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye. She knew Faith would never really change all that much, but she had come to realize sometime in the last two years that she didn't really want her to. She hadn't been lying to Buffy before, Faith and their life together was exactly what she wanted. She knew it looked like a strange partnership from the outside, but they were more well matched than she could have ever imagined when they'd started their relationship. What had started as a physical escape from coping had become something neither one of them had expected.

Faith looked surprised when Willow hugged her arm, glancing down at her girlfriend with a confused expression. "What's that for? I figured I was still in trouble for fighting with B, and being a ass and everything."

Willow giggled, pulling Faith's arm around her shoulder as she wrapped an arm behind the Slayer's back. "I guess I'm feeling forgiving." She smiled up at her, standing on her toes to kiss her cheek. "And you're really sweet sometimes."

Faith blinked, surprised and touched. Neither one of them used the three little words all that much, but they were both fine with that. They had other ways of expressing the sentiment. "Well, I guess I'm really _not_ in trouble!" she said, obviously pleased. She leaned forward and kissed her, not caring that they were on the sidewalk in front of Buffy's house. "Which way's the animal shelter?" she asked when they separated, not surprised when Willow provided a direction immediately. "How do you know that?"

The witch giggled cutely, shrugging. "I like learning things. You know that."

"Yeah, but where the animal shelter is?" Faith questioned as they set off in the direction Willow had indicated. "It's just random."

There were dogs barking audibly as soon as they came through the doors, all of them jumping excitedly around in their fences. Faith grinned as a half-grown chocolate lab puppy hit the fence and flopped to the floor for a split second before he was back up and jumping at the barrier again.

"Already got a winner?" Willow asked, squeezing her fingers as they strolled over toward the edge of the pen. "He is cute."

"He's a fighter," Faith said, reaching into the pen with one hand to pet him, merely laughing when he turned his head to try and chew on her thumb. "None of that, bud," she chided, pushing him down off the fence with her hand. "We can look around some. Want to make sure we get the best one." Her eyes lingered on the little brown pup, though, and Willow knew they'd be back.

There were all kinds of dogs and they diligently wandered around to each pen to look at the squirming, playful puppies and dogs. Every time they walked near that first pen the little chocolate lab was pacing them on the inside of the fence, and Willow smiled as they got the attention of a worker.

Some paperwork and a few shots and fees and they were out the door, their new friend straining at the end of his leash and trying to smell everything he could get to. Willow let Faith hang onto the leash, giggling as the dog pulled the Slayer along, his long tail wagging happily as they walked. "What are you thinking for a name?" she asked, the pup pausing on the sidewalk to listen to something with his ears perked up.

"Not anything stupid like Cocoa or Brownie," Faith said immediately.

"Okay, then I'm vetoing Killer or Kujo," Willow countered. "He looks too sweet for a name like that."

"Let's give it a few days and come up with something good," Faith reasoned. "And B and Xand can meet him and maybe they'll have a good idea."

"That's smart," Willow said, nodding.

The walk back to their apartment didn't take long with their puppy dragging them along. Faith let him off the leash once they were inside, the little dog taking off to explore his new surroundings while the girls went to the couch. There was some lingering hesitation between them as they settled on opposite sides of the couch and stretched out. Faith surprised Willow by pulling her feet into her own lap and untying the witch's shoes without speaking, knowing how her partner felt about shoes on the furniture. She had just started to rub her thumbs into Willow's soles before they both leaned over to watch their new puppy trying to drag Willow's sneaker away by the shoestring.

Faith caught him before he got too far away, freeing the shoe and lifting the pup up with one hand under his chest. "Don't do that," she warned him, trying for a stern tone until he wiggled forward in her grip to lick her face happily.

Willow giggled from the other end of the couch, bouncing her foot against Faith's leg. The sound drew the dog's attention and his whole body squirmed in Faith's hand as he tried to turn and get to her. She was still laughing when Faith let him go, the Slayer laughing herself as Willow was caught off-guard by the puppy's eager assault. Willow managed to push him back, the dog sliding off of her to settle between her side and the back of the couch, his whole body wriggling in his excitement. His head settled on her chest and he sighed.

"We can't let him get used to sleeping on the couch," Willow said, but she was smiling down at the dog's face as she scratched behind his ears. His tail was swinging quickly on the other end and Faith curled the closer knee up so that he would hit her leg instead of hitting Willow.

"It looks like he sheds," Faith agreed with a laugh, both hands rubbing Willow's feet. "I guess we should get him a bed of his own and some toys, stuff like that." She shrugged as Willow smiled down the couch at her. "Aren't there stores where you can take the dog in with you? I don't think we should leave him here alone his first day."

The witch nodded, her eyes sliding closed as Faith's thumbs worked the arches of her foot. "Yeah, there are pet supply stores where we could bring him in with us, but I'm really enjoying that, what you're doing there," she said, taking a deep breath.

Faith smirked and kept rubbing. Their dog's tail was thumping more softly against her leg as he started to settle down and the Slayer knew that as long as she was massaging her foot Willow wasn't going anywhere. And from the limp, heavy feeling of her legs laying on her body, the witch was only a few minutes away from falling asleep. So she kept Willow's foot between her hands, stroking gently until her red-haired partner was unconscious.

She hadn't counted on the fact that putting Willow to sleep would leave her pinned underneath the witch's legs. It would be easy to get free but she didn't really want to, and she pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and spread it over their legs. Her other hand found the remote and she clicked on the television, muting it immediately so it wouldn't disturb her sleeping girlfriend. There was a basketball game on and she settled in, content to wait for Willow to wake up. This wasn't what she'd ever expected from her life - a girlfriend, a dog, hell, even a stable home wasn't anything she'd ever expected to have, but this moment, quiet and peaceful with the girl who'd snuck her way in and stolen her heart, at this moment, she knew that she didn't want it any other way.


	5. Chapter 5

The path was dark, water dripping from somewhere over their heads, but they kept going. Other Slayers were scattered and searching the twisty, turning mass of tunnels, Willow and Faith on the trail of the leader. A new vampire gang had taken to kidnapping children and they'd finally managed to get a bead on them after a frustrating week of finding nothing in the wake of the attacks. Buffy was somewhere in the tunnels with Xander and there were more pairs searching as well. A noise other than the dripping told them that they were on the right track and Willow let Faith take the lead, her power ready to react at her direction.

Faith managed to move soundlessly, even through the inch of water that cover the ground, and she snuck a quick glance around the corner as they reached an intersection, one hand signaling Willow to stay back. A sickeningly familiar sound of a feeding vampire reached their ears over the ambient water noise and the witch frowned, digging her nails into her partner's wrist. She mouthed a silent 'Go' in the dark, sure that Faith could see it. These vampires were bold, especially in a town where they knew multiple Slayers lived, but the Hellmouth under their feet made them stronger and they knew it.

Bold and powerful as he was though, he was still caught off guard when Faith appeared suddenly from the darkness. His fangs were buried in a young girl's throat, his demon's yellow eyes wide in shock. The grisly tableau was frozen for a split second before Faith was running on the attack and he dropped his victim to flee, wisely terrified of the look in her eyes. The Slayer gave chase for a few yards before her pace slowed and she returned to the girl.

Willow was already there, the young girl looking small and frail in her arms. "She okay?" Faith asked, breathless from her run.

"We've got to get her out of here," Willow said. "She's lost a lot of blood."

"Anything you can do?" Faith questioned, frown on her face. There was a noise in the tunnel behind Willow and she shifted to place herself between the new arrival and the distracted witch. She only relaxed when she saw two Slayers, gesturing to send them in pursuit of the vamp.

"Not down here," Willow said regretfully. "We've got to get her to a hospital."

"Come on then." Faith helped her up, the girl secure in her partner's arms. "How old you think she is?" she asked as they moved quickly back the way they'd come, not bothering with stealth this time.

"She can't be older than two," the witch said softly, looking down at the child. "It's a miracle he didn't drain her."

The Slayer scoffed bitterly, shaking her head. "These last few have been real bastards. They like making it last." Her eyes lingered on the kid though, and she sighed. "It's hard to imagine someone so little could make it, though." The statement proved more foreboding than she'd intended, and their steps picked up their pace unconsciously.

Faith called for an ambulance as soon as they reached a level in the tunnels where they could make the call and the hospital responded quickly, an ambulance screeching to a halt at the curb even as they crossed the street to meet it. They were both filthy and the bottoms of their jeans were wet, but the EMTs asked for no explanations and Willow climbed in to ride to the hospital with the child while Faith stayed to follow up with the other teams, the Slayer promising to catch up to her as soon as she could.

The doctors checked the girl over while Willow waited anxiously. They finally announced that the bite on her neck was her only physical wound, though the blood loss was quite severe. They got her started on transfusions, though she would need more of her own type once they arrived at the hospital.

Willow impatiently rolled her sleeve up and stuck her own arm out. "I'm a match," she said. "Give her as much as she needs."

The techs looked a little doubtful, but did as she ordered and hooked up the necessary tubes and wires. It made getting them out of the ambulance trickier, but Willow helped and kept pace with the bed as they wheeled the unconscious girl into an exam room.

She had been disconnected by the time Faith arrived, the Slayer fresh from the shower and in clean clothes. There was a duffle on her shoulder and she put it down softly, trying not to wake up the sleeping kid. "She looks better," Faith observed in a whisper, eyes traveling to her girlfriend's face. "You're looking rough, though." Her eyes narrowed and she focused on the square of gauze taped to the inside of the redhead's elbow. "What happened?"

Willow looked up at her, eyes shadowed and her skin pale. "She needed blood. I was a match."

Faith sighed, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. "You're a good person, Willow." She nudged the bag she'd brought with her foot as she leaned back. "I brought you some clothes."

Willow stood up, kissing the Slayer's cheek softly. "You're pretty sweet yourself," she said with a tired smile. "Could you sit with her?" she requested. "It doesn't look like she's got any family coming. The vamps snatched her from an orphanage. The cops have been finding bodies all night," she said, a sad grimace crossing her features.

"That sucks. I'm not going anywhere," Faith assured her. Her brown eyes searched Willow's face, thumb brushing over her cheek. "You look tired," she said softly, her affection and concern clear. "I bet this isn't how you were planning on spending our anniversary."

Willow smiled tiredly, leaning into Faith's touch. "You mean seven year anniversary doesn't traditionally involve vampire nests?"

Faith shrugged. "You know I don't know what's traditional. Probably only if you're celebrating it with a Slayer." She frowned at the dark circles under Willow's eyes, fingertip brushing under her eye gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Willow confessed honestly. She mustered another weak smile. "It's okay, Faith. I'll catch a nap once I change." She gave her partner a quick kiss. "Promise."

As Willow disappeared behind the bathroom door Faith shrugged out of her jacket and bundled it up for a makeshift pillow. The redhead was quick to return, smiling as she saw the gesture. "Come here," she said softly, pulling Faith to the couch with her. Both hands on her shoulders pushed the Slayer down to sit on the short sofa and Willow sat down next to her, curling her legs up next to herself and resting her head on Faith's shoulder. "This is how I wanted to spend our anniversary," she whispered.

They sat in peaceful silence, Faith's fingers traveling thoughtlessly through Willow's hair while the witch's eyes closed and her breathing slowed down as she fell asleep. Her body sagged limply as she faded into unconsciousness, and Faith shifted her carefully so that her red head was resting against the Slayer's thigh. Her fingers kept moving through Willow's hair while she thought.

The little kid in the bed was all alone and even though she didn't know how it had happed that she'd lost her parents, the Slayer couldn't help feeling responsible for her. Part of her wondered silently how much of that was Willow's influence. The witch was kind-hearted and sympathetic, even after everything she'd been through, everything she'd done, she was still a sweetheart. Faith didn't see herself the same way. She'd done her own fair share of bad, but dealing with it had made her harder, made her stronger. Not that Willow wasn't strong, because she absolutely was, but she'd managed to keep her sweetness. Faith didn't think she'd ever been sweet. Willow liked to tell her that she was, but she didn't see it in herself and was just grateful that Willow could.

She was distracted from her musings as the girl they'd saved stirred from her sleep. Faith carefully lifted Willow's head and replaced her leg with her folded jacket. "Hey kid," she greeted the child, keeping her voice down. "How are you feeling?"

The girl didn't answer, and Faith cleared her throat. "You can talk to me if you want. My name is Faith. What's your name?" She didn't answer and Faith moved on. "Do you remember what happened? Anything?"

The little girl shook her head, curling up as much as she could in the center of the bed, obviously still scared. "You're safe here, trust me. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." She gave her a smile and a wink. "I'm really strong. You don't have to be afraid of anything, okay?" The little girl blinked wide eyes at her and Faith sighed, taking a step back while she contemplated her next move. She didn't know if the kid couldn't speak or just wouldn't, but she took another step back and sat down on the arm of the couch near Willow's head.

The little girl's eyes moved from her to the sleeping witch and Faith glanced down at her girlfriend. "This is Willow. She's been taking care of you today," Faith said, wondering what would get the kid to talk. "Do you need anything? You thirsty?"

The little head bobbed in a nod and curly brown hair fell in her face. "Okay, awesome. Hang on," she said, standing up to cross to the sink. The girl's fingers were sticky when she took the cup from her, the Slayer giving her an encouraging smile.

She finished the water in a few short moments and Faith refilled the glass. The water was half gone before she stopped drinking it and she smiled finally, holding the cup between her knees. "You hungry? I could find some cookies or something."

Hair flopped in her face again as she nodded, breath blown up to get the lock of hair out of her eyes. Faith glanced at either wrist quickly but didn't find what she was looking for until she looked at Willow's wrist. She grinned exaggeratedly as she lifted the sleeping witch's arm and slid the thin hair tie that Willow kept on her wrist off her hand. It got a giggle from the child and Faith wiggled her eyebrows as she lifted it in success.

The child wasn't adept enough to tie her own hair back, but apparently knew that and turned around to let Faith put her hair up for her. The Slayer stepped back when she finished, wiggling her fingers as the little girl turned back to face her. "Better?" She nodded and Faith sat cautiously on the side of the bed. "You want to talk to me yet?" She was met with silence and she tried again. "Just your name? I'm Faith. Can you say that name?"

"Faith," the girl answered slowly, voice barely audible.

The Slayer grinned. "That's me. I'm going to go get you some cookies, okay? Would you do me a favor and stay right there and watch Willow?"

The kid nodded, eyes locking themselves on the witch and Faith tousled her hair with one hand as she went to find the promised cookies and a nurse to check on the girl now that she was awake. Willow was still asleep when they returned and the nurse pointed out an extra blanket under the bedside table, so Faith covered Willow up. Faith handed over the cookies and the little girl cooperated with the nurse's tests, though she kept her eyes on the Slayer. There was a whimper as the two adults stepped away to talk quietly, the girl sitting up on her knees to keep Faith in sight.

Willow woke up just as the nurse left, sitting up and rubbing her hair as she stretched. Faith's attention was drawn as the little girl let out a squeak and pointed, obviously completing the task Faith had given her to keep an eye on the witch. "Hey," Willow greeted her, giving them each a tired smile. The kid was showing the most interest Faith had seen from her and the Slayer went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, babe," Faith said quietly. "Our little buddy woke up."

"I'm Willow." The witch waved, pushing the blanket off her legs as she sat up.

"How are you feeling?" Faith asked, leaning forward to look at her. "You're not as pale now."

"I'm fine. Thank you," Willow answered, shaking the wrinkles out of Faith's jacket.

Their little companion hit one hand against Faith's back and the Slayer turned her head to look at the girl. She lifted both hands in a clear gesture, and Faith blinked in surprise but picked her up and deposited the kid into her lap.

She looked up at her self-appointed guardian and then across at Willow, waving shyly. "Hi, sweetie. What's your name?"

Faith started to say that she wouldn't tell, but was surprised when the child on her lap answered the question finally. "Joy."

Willow smiled happily, winking at her partner. "Faith and Joy."

"Faith," Joy said softly, leaning her head back against the Slayer's chest to look up at her again. One hand reached up to touch her chin.

Willow laughed, covering her mouth at the warrior's suddenly confused expression. It was clear in a heartbeat that Faith was out of her element, not sure what to do with a kid. It was equally clear that Joy had taken a shine to the Slayer.

The witch's laugh prompted a giggle from Joy and a smile from Faith. "Is that funny?" she asked hypothetically, tilting her head down to make a face at her, drawing more laughs from both members of her audience. Joy yawned after her mirth ran its course, and she curled up in Faith's lap and let her eyes close.

Willow and Faith looked at each other in the silence, the witch leaning back against the couch. "Has a nurse come in?"

"Yeah," Faith answered, keeping her voice down. "They don't have room for her at the orphanage tonight, and it's not super safe there anyway, so they're going to keep her here for a few days until they can find somewhere for her."

Willow frowned. "That's awful." Faith hesitated, obviously trying to think of how to say what she wanted to say. "You want to keep her."

"I don't think a kid should be left _here_," Faith said. Her dislike of the hospital was famous among the Slayers, though her family history was only known to Willow and the Scoobies. It was obvious why she would have issues with leaving a kid behind on her own. "Even if it's just for a few days, I don't think she should be here by herself. If no one else is coming for her…"

Willow took a deep breath, eyes studying the pair across from her. The girl had relaxed in sleep and was sprawled across the Slayer's lap. "Did you happen to bring my computer?" she asked finally.

Faith nodded without speaking, watching as the witch booted up her laptop and spent a few minutes typing. "What are you doing?"

"Hacking the Social Services database and listing us as approved foster parents," Willow answered without looking up from her screen. "That's what you wanted, right?" Her eyes found Faith's across the space between them and the Slayer glanced down at the girl in her arms.

"It's not right to leave her here," Faith declared, voice hoarse. "Is that going to work?"

Willow nodded confidently. "I'm good at what I do, you know that," she chided teasingly.

"You're good at everything you do," Faith agreed with a grin. "Is this okay with you?"

"Yeah," Willow said. "It's not right to leave her alone, and she obviously likes you." She finished her work and closed her laptop, standing up and moving forward two steps to kiss Faith softly. "I like you too," she said between slow kisses. "You stay here with Joy and I'll get her signed over into our custody."

Faith nodded, shifting backwards carefully to let Joy lay down in the bed, but she didn't go anywhere and stretched out next to her to wait on Willow. Her partner nodded with a smile as she returned a while later and Faith sat up. Joy woke up with a jump as the Slayer moved away from her, eyes wide. "Hey, Joy. It's okay! I'm right here," Faith assured her quickly. Joy hugged her tightly and Faith blinked over her shoulder at Willow. "Hey kiddo, do you think you'd like to come home with us? We can get out of this hospital, and we have a doggy." She wasn't sure what would be able to coerce a kid into wanting to spend time with her, but she figured that their dog was as good a bet as any.

"Doggy?" Joy asked, lifting her head. "A woof-woof?" She looked back and forth between the pair of adults with an excited expression on her little face.

"A big woof-woof," Faith confirmed as Willow pulled out her cell phone and pulled up a picture of their Labrador to show her. The little girl took the phone and turned the picture from side to side, grinning at the dog.

"Whas his name?" she asked curiously.

"Bones," Faith answered. "His name is Bones."

The kid made a face as Willow laughed and took her phone back. "Funny name," she commented, her little face serious.

"Want to know how he got that name?" Willow asked, laughing. Joy nodded as Faith picked her up, yawning in the Slayer's arms. Willow started packing up her computer as she spoke, getting them ready to go home. "We got him when he was little, and we couldn't figure out a good name for him, but then we took him to my friend Buffy's house and let him play out in the yard. And you know what he did?"

Joy shook her head and Faith started walking with her, back and forth at the foot of the bed, while Willow packed her dirty clothes back into the empty duffle bag. "What'd he do?" Joy asked softly, obviously sleepy.

"He brought us every bone he could find," Faith picked up the story with a quiet laugh. "It wasn't an hour before there were a dozen bones on the porch. We think he was taking them from other yards and garbage cans." She glanced at Willow with a grin. "Or else there's something seriously weird going on in B's neighborhood," she commented with a laugh.

Joy giggled, her head dropping against Faith's shoulder. "That's funny. Silly Bones." Her voice was sleepy and her eyes drooped closed.

"What do you say? Want to go home with us and meet him?" Faith asked, voice a whisper. Joy nodded against her chest and the Slayer gave Willow a tentative smile. She was trying to look confident, sure of herself, but she had no idea what she was doing. All she knew was that she felt protective of this girl and she had to do something to help her. Her eyes fell down as Willow took her free hand, swallowing as she looked up to meet her eyes. "You think I'm nuts, don't you?" she whispered, seeking some kind of reassurance from her partner.

"I think you're amazing," Willow said, shaking her head from side to side. "And I love you." She kissed the Slayer's cheek softly, squeezing her finger gently.

"Thanks Will," Faith responded, looking up and around the room. "Let's get out of here. I…"

"I know you hate this place," Willow finished for her, lifting the duffle bag and Faith's jacket. "Just let me…" She looped the jacket carefully around Joy, Faith's free hand rising to hold it in place at her back. "We're good to go," Willow declared softly, adjusting the strap of the bag on her shoulder.

Faith led the way out to their Wrangler, surprised to see a car seat already buckled into the backseat. "Where'd this come from?" she asked even as she climbed in and buckled Joy into it.

"Why do you think it took me so long earlier?" Willow asked with a smile as she put the bag into the floorboard under Joy's feet.

Faith shrugged. "I figured you were doing paperwork, or whatever. I should have known better." Willow gave her a playful grin and Faith hopped out and stepped toward her, pinning the redhead between herself and the side of their car. "I love you, you know?"

"I know," Willow affirmed, tilting her head to the side as Faith leaned in. It was rare that the Slayer was vocally affectionate, but even without the words it was still clear how she felt about the witch. The kiss she gave her made it pretty well clear as well. Her body pressed Willow into the side of the car, hands sliding around her back to pull her closer. Willow laughed into a gap between kisses, hands on Faith's shoulders to push her back. "We need to get home. Bones is going to need a walk, and Joy should get some sleep in a bed."

Faith nodded, kissing Willow a final time. "I'll drive," she said, hooking the keys from Willow's pocket. The witch laughed, rolling her eyes. "You lost blood today. You could be lightheaded or something."

"I guess that means that you're going to walk Bones too?" Willow reasoned, smirking as Faith opened the door for her.

"Sure," Faith agreed easily. "It's not the first all-nighter I've done. This month, even. You can get some sleep with Joy."

Willow took her hand as Faith climbed in behind the driver's seat. "And then you'll join us when you get home?" she checked. "Bones can play outside in the yard while we catch some sleep." She glanced out the window where the sun was rising. "It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day," she commented with a chuckle.

* * *

It had, in fact, been a beautiful day, and they'd spent the afternoon out in the yard with Bones and Joy. They were out there when Buffy showed up to check on them, and she came around the house as she heard the laughing and barking coming from the yard. Faith was playing with the dog to the amusement of a little brown-haired girl, while Willow was leaning back in a lawn chair, still in her pajamas.

"Lazy afternoon?" Buffy questioned as she rounded the corner and leaned against the wall next to Willow's chair.

The witch looked up at her best friend, taking a slow sip of her coffee. "Don't we deserve it? Did you guys get the nest?"

Buffy nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. "Yeah, we got them. I heard you guys found something a little different. I had to come see it for myself."

Willow laughed, watching Joy chase Faith while Bones barked and spun in excited circles, happy to have someone new to play with. Their dog was no longer a puppy at five years old, but he was as hyper as he'd ever been. "Understatement, Buff. Her name is Joy. They didn't have space for her at the orphanage, so she was going to have to stay at the hospital…"

"Faith didn't like that."

"No, she did not," Willow agreed. "So I dropped us into the Social Services database and we're keeping her until they can find somewhere else for her to go."

Buffy watched, sliding to the grass beside Willow's chair. "So you've got a kid for the weekend?"

"Pretty much."

"That's a little odd," Buffy observed. "She really seems to like Faith. Which is also a little odd."

Willow was still drinking her coffee and she casually reached her free hand over the edge of her chair and flicked her friend's ear warningly. "I really like Faith too, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm just saying… Faith and a kid! Even you have to admit that it's… unexpected," Buffy pointed out. "It's not a bad thing. I'm just…"

Willow nodded, shifting in her seat. "Joy really seems to trust her. You can't blame her, though. I mean, she was kidnapped by vampires, fed on, and then woke up in the hospital. Faith saved her, was there with her when she woke up, and she's confident, strong, and can be surprisingly comforting to be around."

"Are we talking about the kid and Faith or you and Faith?" Buffy teased, laughing as she ducked away from another swat. "Kidding, Will! It's good that she likes Faith. It's good that she has someone to trust. It's good that she has both of you looking out for her."

Willow finished her coffee and put the mug on the ground next to her. "I get the feeling that you're trying to say something here, Buff, but you're not quite getting to it. What's up?"

"What's up is this," Buffy started. "You and Faith, you've always been non-couple-y, and I love that, don't get me wrong! You've been together now for, what, eight years?"

"Not quite there yet. Next year," Willow corrected her softly. "What about it?"

"I'm getting there!" Buffy said quickly. "You've said before that you guys don't want kids. You've got Bones and each other and that made you both happy. But this kid, she went through something horrible and she's really bonding with Faith. It's going to hurt when you just return her at the end of the weekend."

Willow looked down at her friend in surprise, but Buffy was watching the playing group on the lawn. "What are you saying, Buffy? You think we should keep her?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just pointing out some potential…problems," the Slayer said, glancing up at Willow. "The longer it goes on, the worse it's going to be. For everybody."

The witch was frowning, leaning back in her seat as she thought it over. Joy didn't have anywhere else to go, and had been through a horrible trauma. Her neck was still bandaged, but her blood loss didn't appear to be affecting her further. She was running and playing happily, giggling loudly as Faith swooped her up and flew her through the air. It was obvious that the girl liked Faith, but how would Faith feel if she brought it up? How did _she_ feel?

It had been five years since they'd talked about marriage and kids and she was sure Faith's opinions on getting married hadn't changed - that just wasn't the Slayer's style and Willow was perfectly fine with that. But watching her play with Joy, Willow wasn't sure that her partner would be opposed to the little girl's presence in their home.

She didn't even think of broaching the subject until the next morning, having spent the night tossing restlessly while she tried to think the situation through. Faith slept as soundly as she ever did, demonstrating the Slayers' apparently inherited ability to sleep no matter the time of day, or when she'd slept last. Of course, it was still freaky how the slightest change would wake her up. She'd slept through all the tossing and turning, but the second Willow slid off the bed, she was awake.

"Will? Where you going?" Her voice was rough with sleep and her hair was hanging in her face, but she shook her head as she turned onto her side to get a better look around. "Are you okay?" She also had an uncanny ability to tell what Willow's expression looked like having only seen the back of her head.

"It's freaky how you do that," Willow said, sighing heavily.

Faith sat up, frowning. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

The witch turned back around and sat down on the edge of their bed. "Nothing. You didn't do anything," she said reassuringly. "Don't worry about it."

Faith was still as Willow leaned forward and kissed her forehead, but she caught her wrist as the witch started to stand up and leave. "Bull!" she declared. "Tell me."

Willow hesitated, swallowing hard. "What would you think about keeping Joy?"

The Slayer's eyes went wide and she sucked in a surprised breath. "What? Seriously? Keep her? Like, here with us?"

Willow nodded. "She's an orphan. They're just looking for somewhere to stick her in the system. And we're in the system now. And she loves you." She smiled tentatively. "And I think you're pretty fond of her."

Faith blinked, throat dry suddenly. "You've talked about her, and me, but what about you? I mean, you were pretty adamant before about not wanting kids. We laughed about it, remember?"

"We did laugh," Willow agreed. "But she needs someone. And we could help her."

"But this isn't like getting Bones from the shelter. Joy's a kid. She needs a home, and parents, stuff like… I don't even know what she needs!"

"You haven't said anything we can't be for her," Willow said softly. "But we need to think about it, of course. No pressure or anything. It's just something to think about." She leaned over and kissed her quickly, leaving the Slayer watching her in silence. "Breakfast will be on the table in twenty."

Faith nodded wordlessly, pushing the blankets off of herself with a sigh as Willow left the room. She tried to think, but sitting still and giving herself time to ponder had never been something she'd been good at, and she jumped up from the bed with a huff, hopping on her toes for a moment before she headed for the bathroom. A shower would give her something to do besides think.

Joy was already awake when she made it downstairs, the little girl hopping up from where she was perched on the edge of a chair at their kitchen table and running to Faith, but she stopped before she touched her, just looking at her shyly. "Morning," Faith greeted her, meeting Willow's eyes as the witch turned around with a bowl in her hands. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, turning her attention back to the little girl.

She didn't answer, but she reached forward and took Faith's hand, pulling her back to the table. The Slayer lifted her back into her chair, putting her on top of the phone books that Willow had piled so she could reach the table. The witch put a bowl of cereal in front of Joy, the little girl smiling happily at her Cheerios. She started eating them with her hands, but she was hitting her mouth more than missing, so they let her do it.

Willow returned to the stove to finish their breakfast, sliding two omelets onto plates and leaning back into her as Faith's arms curled around her waist. "You okay?" she asked, leaning her head back against the Slayer's shoulder to look up at her.

"Been thinking," Faith said softly. "We're in the system as foster parents, or whatever, right? Does that mean we could keep her? Like, forever keep her?"

"Technically, no, foster parenting isn't permanent, but it's a start if someone wanted to adopt," Willow answered. She started to question the Slayer, but then Joy was cooing at Bones as he tried to get her cereal, his feet on the table.

"Bones! No!" Faith ordered, grumbling as he didn't respond. Willow whistled sharply once though, and he shrunk back, head hanging. "Bad dog," the Slayer rebuked him, shooting a look at Willow as the witch smirked. Ever since Bones' first day with them he'd been completely obedient to Willow while he mostly ignored Faith's orders or disapproval.

"Outside," Willow directed simply, grinning as their dog let himself out through the kitchen screen door and then yelping as Faith swatted her butt firmly and took her plate to the table.

Joy was laughing at the exchange and Faith made a face across the table at the little girl which Joy immediately tried to emulate with comic results. "Eat up, kiddo," Faith prompted, grateful when someone in her house finally obeyed her direction. "Then we can go out and play with Bones."

Another handful of soggy Cheerios ended up scattered across her face and Willow sent her lover a fond smile as she took her seat, feeling Faith's hand squeeze her knee under the table. "Bones!" Joy called happily and the dog scratched on the door at the sound of his name.

"Down," Willow called, smirking as he immediately obeyed.

Faith's eyes narrowed and Willow felt her nails dragging up her leg until she coughed on her coffee. The Slayer smirked, satisfied with her retribution. "He's got to stay outside while we're eating, but we'll play with him after breakfast, okay?"

Joy nodded eagerly, her spoon splashing in the milk of her cereal. Faith curled her hand around the inside of Willow's knee one final time before she withdrew her hand and went back to eating her own breakfast. By the time she was finished with her omelet Joy had finished her cereal and was just playing with the leftover milk. Willow started to stand up and clean it up, but Faith stopped her, taking her plate and Joy's bowl and returning to the table with a towel to wipe up the spilt milk.

"Ready to go out and play with Bones?" Faith asked, grinning as Joy threw both hands into the air to get picked up. She clapped her hands as Faith set her down on the floor, toddling toward the backdoor with the Slayer in pursuit. Faith opened the door for her and let her run out into the grass, though she paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at Willow. "I'm in," she said simply, meeting her partner's eyes for a moment before she went outside to join the pair playing outside.

Willow knew it wouldn't be as easy as hacking into the database had been, but she knew that it would be worth it. Nothing about her relationship with Faith had exactly come normally, why should adopting a kid be any different? But it had all been good. None of it was anything she could have planned for, but there wasn't any of it that she would change.


	6. Chapter 6

Willow peeked around the edge of the opening to the cave, surveying the demons just inside. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, using her power to project the question straight into Buffy's mind.

The Slayer was on the other side of the cavern entrance, and she shrugged with a wide grin. "Sure I'm sure," she thought. "It's only a few demons and we've got ten Slayers. No problem. Wait, you can hear me, right?"

Willow nodded in exasperation, pointing into the cave. From where they were hiding, she could see at least fifteen demons, so she knew they probably _should_ pull back and reevaluate the plan, maybe collect a few more Slayers, but she was tired and wanted nothing more than to just go home. Better to just deal with it and not have to come back, she decided. "I've got your back," she promised. They had backup, but it still looked just a bit overwhelming. This was their last stop of the day, this demon cult who'd been making their presence felt. The Slayers hadn't been able to nail down what they wanted, but the demons had been kidnapping people only to return them bloody and unconscious a few days later. Evidently they were searching for something they hadn't been able to find in their victims.

Buffy was first into the cave, her shining red scythe swiping through everything in her path. Willow followed her in, providing cover where she could. For a few minutes the fight was relatively one-sided, the Slayers easily dispatching their opposition. It didn't take longer than ten minutes before their situation was made worse as the cavern's occupancy was doubled by more demons who seemingly came from nowhere, pouring in from every side as the sounds of the fight drew the rest of the group. Willow and Buffy made the mutual and unspoken decision to pull back, necessary return trip and tiredness be damned, Buffy whistling the signal to withdraw.

There were too many, Willow's spells doing the best she could to keep the demons back and give Buffy and the others time to get back out. Their intelligence had been seriously short on numbering the demons and there were too many to fight. Unfortunately, Willow had been cut off from the others. She dimly saw Buffy fighting her way back toward her, but then it was just blackness as pain blossomed across the back of her skull.

* * *

Faith was nowhere to be seen when Buffy came through her backdoor, the Slayer feeling nervous sweat rolling down the back of her collar and stinging in her various scrapes and wounds. "Faith?" she called loudly, wincing at the pain it sent rocketing through her chest. "Where are you?"

A laugh from Joy gave her a direction and she limped toward the back bedroom that served as Willow's library. Joy was spread across the floor with a large pad of paper and a box of crayons. Faith was seated at the desk going through a stack of paperwork. The sight of her rebellious counterpart paying bills gave her a momentary pause and she had to shake her head. "Faith…"

The tone of Buffy's voice had her up and moving, Joy looking up from her coloring. "Stay in here," Faith directed her sternly, following Buffy into the hall and pulling the door closed behind her. "What's wrong?" It didn't take a fool to see that something was wrong, the Slayer's face covered with cuts and bruises rising under her skin. "Where's Will?" Buffy didn't answer and Faith's eyes narrowed. "B, _where_ is Will?" Her voice was hard. "Where _is she_?" she demanded, two hands on Buffy's shirt lifting her up off her feet.

"Taken," Buffy groaned, her head rocking against the wall behind her. "Faith…" She slapped her hands lightly against her fellow Slayer's wrists.

"Where?" Faith growled, not lowering Buffy at all.

"Put me down and we'll go," Buffy moaned, gasping as Faith finally dropped her.

The dark-haired Slayer paced shortly, still growling. "Why'd they take her?"

"I guess they need a spell," Buffy said hoarsely, one hand on her ribs. "They won't hurt her."

"Until they get what they want!" Faith protested, still stomping the short stretch of hallway. "If they put _one_ finger…"

"I know," Buffy agreed, breathing hard. "Let's go."

Faith was moving to lead the way out but didn't get one step before she remembered Joy in the other room. "Tell me where to go and who to kill," she said. "You've got to stay here with Joy." Her dark eyes surveyed the blonde. "And you're just going to slow me down."

"Hey!" Buffy protested. "I can take care of myself!"

"That's how your best friend, my…Willow, got snatched?" Faith demanded. "I trusted you to take care of her, and…"

"Willow can take care of herself, Faith, and you know it!" Buffy shot back, taking a deep breath as she realized that they were wasting time fighting. "Call Xander to watch Joy."

"He better be here in two minutes or I'm leaving you," Faith warned her counterpart as she rushed to the phone.

Xander was quick and Faith didn't let Buffy explain the situation before she was dragging the blonde out the door. Buffy was hanging on tight as Faith tore around corners, the Slayer looking a little green in addition to all her injuries. She gave directions as quickly as Faith could follow them, pitching herself out of the Jeep as soon as it was stopped.

Faith didn't give her time to be sick, dragging her toward the cave entrance. She was mildly surprised by the Slayers that materialized out of the darkness around her, evidently backup that Buffy had called in. Their presence was inconsequential. She was getting her witch back or she wasn't leaving this cavern.

Their previous attack had led the demons to withdraw deeper into the cave, but torchlight ahead told her that she was going in the right direction and Buffy had to pull her back quickly as they heard Willow gasp. "No! Give them time to get in position," she reminded her counterpart.

"Give them time to hurt Will," Faith argued, barely keeping her voice down. Her words were punctuated by another gasp and Buffy barely managed to hold Faith back. "Let me go!" Faith ordered, her eyes deadly serious. "I'm getting her back, now." Her voice was steely, calm and serious. "The girls can back me up, or not, but Will's leaving this cave in the next five minutes." She met Buffy's blue eyes. "And if something happens…"

"Stop it," Buffy cut her off. "You're not the sentimental type, Faith. And no demon cult is taking you down."

"Hell no," Faith agreed, smirking. "You with me?"

Buffy paused, nodding. "Let's go get Willow."

"And then I'm kicking your ass for letting her get taken," Faith warned her. "All these years threatening me if I hurt her…"

"That's fair," Buffy agreed. "Let's just do it."

They bumped fists and Faith vaulted over the rock wall they'd been crouched behind, hearing Buffy's shoes scraping just behind her as they slid down into the hole the demons were hiding in. Willow was tied spread eagle to a flat stone, her shirt sleeves pushed up and blood dripping down from gashed wrists. They weren't clean cuts. Rather, it looked like she'd been gouged with rocks until she bled. The blood was collecting in shallow bowls that had been set in place for just that purpose.

Willow's blood had Faith seeing red instantly. The witch was pale and not moving, though her teeth were gritted around a gag. "I thought you said they wanted her for a spell!" Faith shouted as the first demon's leg broke under her foot, pitching its neck into her hands for a snapping wrench. She shoved the corpse out of her way and continued fighting through the mass between her and Willow.

"I don't speak their language!" Buffy called back, handling her own pair of attackers. "They specifically went after Willow, I just assumed they needed a spell!" She ducked a giant fist with a groan as she felt her ribs protest sharply. Her fellow Slayers were in the fight now, though none of them were close to matching the path of bodies Faith was leaving in her wake.

Reaching the table, the rest of the ongoing fight was relegated to the back of her mind as she put pressure on the wounds. Willow's eyes were closed and Faith slapped one cheek lightly to get her attention. "Baby, I'm here. Will, look at me," she pleaded, looking around for something that could serve as a tourniquet. Willow was wearing a belt and Faith tore it off, growling as the end got caught on the last loop. "Hang on. I'm right here."

Willow arched as Faith tightened the belt around her elbow, the Slayer oddly relieved to get a reaction from her, even if it was pain. Buffy appeared on Willow's other side looking much the worse for the wear from her battle through the horde. She saw what Faith was doing and pulled her own belt off to slow the blood flow from Willow's other arm, causing the witch to buck again, groaning in pain around the gag in her mouth.

Faith pulled it out as gently as she could, her knife sawing through the ropes binding the witch's wrist. She handed the knife across to Buffy. "Ow," Willow moaned, fainting suddenly.

The Slayers exchanged looks over Willow's unconscious body, Faith hiking her partner into her arms. "I'll cover you," Buffy said hoarsely. The sentiment was appreciated but not entirely necessary, the ground around the platform surrounded by the bodies of the demon cult. Buffy delivered a sharp kick to the chin of one that was still clinging to life as she led Faith back out of the cave.

Willow woke up as they reached the surface, her head rocking against Faith's shoulder as she breathed the Slayer's name.

"I'm right here, Will. I've got you," Faith assured her quickly, not even sure that Willow could hear her. "You're going to be okay." She winced in the sudden sunlight, able to see how pale the witch was. "Buffy…"

The blonde was already on her phone, giving the ambulance their location. "Eight minutes," she informed Faith, her fellow Slayer depositing Willow gently in the grass.

"Tell them to hurry!" Faith demanded, checking Willow over carefully. Other than the deep gashes on her wrists and a knot on her head there didn't seem to be many other physical injuries, but the blood loss was severe. Her freckles stood out on her pale skin and the flutter of her weak pulse did nothing to assuage Faith's wrath. "I'm going to kill them," she said quietly, her voice cold. "You stay with her," she ordered Buffy.

The blonde was quick to intercept her, both hands on Faith's shoulders to keep her still. "Faith, they're all dead already. You going back down there isn't going to do anything for Willow." She knew how fiercely protective Faith was of Willow and Joy, her family, knew that the dark-haired Slayer wouldn't rest until anyone who hurt them was dead. "And if they're not dead, you have to protect her." She laughed weakly, holding onto Faith more for support now than to stop her. "I'm in no shape to…"

Faith finally nodded, helping Buffy down to sit beside Willow. "Should we try and wake her up?" Faith asked, her anxiety obvious.

"I don't know," Buffy said. "They'll be here soon," she said reassuringly. "Willow's tough."

"Give me your phone," Faith requested. Buffy handed it over and the Slayer punched in the number for her house. It rang a few times before Joy picked up. "Hey, are you supposed to be answering the telephone?" Faith asked, surprised.

"No, Mama," Joy recited dutifully.

"Is your Uncle Xander there?" Faith questioned.

"Yes," the little girl answered succinctly.

"Could you put him on, please?" Faith requested, exchanging impatient looks with Buffy. They were both aware of how Willow's little girl could be. Normally Faith thought it was cute, but her blood was still boiling from the fight and she couldn't help being exasperated.

"Yes, Mama."

"Thank you," Faith said, hearing the phone fumbling between hands. "Xander?"

"What's up? You guys ran out of here so fast… and I heard…"

"Will's down. We're waiting on the ambulance. Can you stay with Joy for a while longer?" Faith asked, relief washing through her as she heard the siren in the distance, the rush making her feel lightheaded. "We'll call from the hospital," she said, clicking off without waiting for a response.

She paced anxiously while the EMTs checked Willow over, following as they lifted the witch into the back of the ambulance. Buffy looked close enough to collapse that they herded her into the ambulance with Willow, leaving Faith to follow. Or at least that's what they thought they did, Buffy saying nothing when she saw the dark blur jump past the back window a second before there was a minute thump on the roof of the vehicle. She just hoped her fellow Slayer would hold on tight.

She needn't have worried, Faith jumping down just as they pulled into the Emergency Room entrance. The techs were too distracted with their patients to question it when she followed them in. Willow was already hooked up to blood, her pale skin less scary. Buffy had broken ribs and a few lacerations that would need stitches so they took her off to get cleaned up and treated, leaving Faith to watch Willow sleep.

Her color was getting better, but she still hadn't woken up and Faith paced restlessly as she waited for the witch to regain consciousness. Hospitals made her nervous, she suspected they always would, but she couldn't leave Willow to wake up alone, no matter how uncomfortable their surroundings made her. Buffy joined her after a while, rolling in in a wheelchair. She just blinked in surprise when Faith spun to face her.

"Listen, I need some air, or a cigarette, or something," Faith said quickly, surprised to realize that she was sweating slightly. "Could you sit with her?"

"Sure," Buffy said slowly, nodding with a frown. "I thought you quit smoking years ago?"

"I did," Faith said, still moving restlessly. "I just… it's been a long day, and I hate this place, and Will…"

"Will's not going to be happy about you starting again," Buffy warned her.

The brunette shrugged. "I'm not starting again… I just need one to calm down. She can yell at me all she wants as soon as she wakes up," Faith said, one hand on her forehead as she headed for the door. "Call me when she's awake!"

Night had fallen and the air was cool as she exited the hospital. She didn't stop until she was on the sidewalk, jogging to the corner market for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She walked back to the hospital more slowly, exhaling the soothing smoke. She knew Willow hated her smoking, and she _had_ quit years ago, but this felt good. The slow burn of smoke in her lungs was a pleasant distraction from worrying about Willow. Another distraction was provided when Xander's car pulled up next to her, and she quickly dropped her cigarette and crushed the ember under her boot. The pack and lighter were quickly shoved into her jacket pocket and she realized that there was blood on her coat and she stripped it off quickly.

Xander rolled the window down and she threw the jacket over him and into the passenger seat. He frowned, able to smell the smoke on her. "What's going on, Faith?" he questioned, keeping his voice down. Joy was sleeping in her car-seat in the back, and she nodded toward the parking lot. "Don't move!" he ordered her sternly as he started to drive into the lot.

Joy was sleeping on his shoulder when he joined her, frowning as she slapped her pockets searching for another cigarette, cursing under her breath. "You quit smoking."

"So everyone keeps reminding me!" she growled. "It's just been a long day, Xander."

"Where's Willow?" he asked, turning from side to side to keep Joy asleep.

"In there," Faith said, indicating the hospital.

"Alive?"

She gave him a poisonous glare. "You seriously think I would be here if she was…" Her voice was a choked growl. She didn't want to consider life without her partner, didn't like the thought of who she'd be if she lost her.

"Okay, no," Xander admitted, trying to calm her down. "Want me to go get your smokes? You can smoke another one and I won't say anything, I promise!"

Faith considered it for a long moment, shaking her head finally. "No. She'll be able to smell them when she wakes up."

"She's not in a coma, is she?" Xander questioned, shifting Joy in his arms.

"Give her here," Faith requested, lifting both hands to take her little girl from him. "She's not in a coma. Unconscious from blood loss." She saw his next question on his face and she shook her head. "Not vamps," she said preemptively, leaning her head against Joy's hair. "Demon cult that we figure needed a witch's blood to work their mojo." Her voice was soft now, distracted. "They were bleeding her. They cut her up with rocks."

"But you stopped them," Xander reminded her gently. "You saved her." He and Faith had never been especially close, but he knew that she loved his best friend and that gave him the courage to reach up and touch her hair gently. Her eyes met his and he nodded toward the building. "You need to go back in there. For her." The Scoobies were well aware of how she felt about hospitals, but Willow was in there and he knew that she couldn't stay away. "Come on," he said, slinging his arm around her shoulder and leading them back inside.

Willow was still asleep, and Buffy was dozing in her wheelchair, jumping awake when they entered. "She hasn't woken up yet," the blonde said, sitting up straighter with a grimace. "Hey, there's my girl," she said as Joy stirred in Faith's arms.

Faith bounced her lightly against her side and turned them so Joy couldn't see Willow and her injuries. "Hey, baby," she said softly, ignoring Buffy and Xander's exchanged look. She knew she was different with her girl, but she just couldn't help herself. The child she was raising with Willow had the best of both of them, Willow's smarts and humor, her own strength of will and stubborn disposition, all tempered with the sweetness of an innocent child. They frequently marveled together that they, who had done so much bad and hurt so many people, could be responsible for such a wonderful kid.

"Hey Mama," Joy said sleepily. "Where're we?" Her voice was soft and she turned her head against Faith's shoulder, blinking hazel eyes tiredly.

"We're at the hospital," Faith said quietly.

"I got hurt," Buffy interjected quickly. "Come here and give me a hug to make me feel better," she requested, holding her hands up for Joy. Faith gave her a grateful look as she passed the little girl over to Buffy, not sure how to break Willow's condition to a five year old before she even knew what it was herself.

Just then Willow started moving, moaning Faith's name. Faith was beside her instantly, hoping that Buffy and Xander would distract Joy. She dimly heard them mention food and the door closed behind them, but she didn't shift her attention from Willow. "I'm right here, babe. Talk to me," Faith requested.

"What happened?" Willow groaned. "Where are we?"

"Hospital," Faith answered hoarsely. "You got taken, remember?" She almost didn't want the answer, wondering if Willow blacking it out would be better than remembering being tortured.

"Oh yeah," Willow said, her head rolling against the pillow to look at her arms. The cuts and scratches were all covered by thick white bandages and she tried to pull one up.

"No, nope, not doing that," Faith said quickly, taking her hand to stop her. "How'd it happen? I told Buffy I'd kick her ass…"

"It wasn't her fault," Willow denied. "It was my fault. I let myself get surrounded, get knocked out." She grimaced down at her arms. "I didn't know they were looking to bleed a witch. I would have worked out a different plan," she mused, her voice tired. "How'd you get there?"

"B came and got me for the second assault," Faith said. "And no matter what you say, she's getting an ass-whooping for letting this happen."

"I can take care of myself," Willow reminded her. "I'm the one who screwed up."

"I don't care," Faith said petulantly. "She was with you, you should have been watching your back. I would never have let you get snatched. Only over my dead body…"

"It wasn't her fault," Willow repeated. "Pulling back was the right move for the rest of the team. And I wouldn't want you to get hurt for me either, Faith," she said, voice as pointed as she could make it through the heavy medication. "Thank you for saving me, by the way. You're okay, right?"

"I was highly motivated. They never even got a finger on me," Faith said with a nod, leaning over with a sigh of relief to kiss her forehead.

One of Willow's hands caught her shirt weakly, though the light hold was more than enough to keep her in her spot. "You smoked," Willow accused, taking a deep breath and able to smell the acrid stink on her.

"I, it was just one!" Faith protested. "It was a long day, Willow!" She sighed. "I thought I might lose you. I got stressed, I burned _one_ cigarette! You can be as pissed at me as you want to once we get you home!" She pushed her hair back, taking a deep breath and holding it.

Willow blinked up at her tiredly, fingers trailing over her face. "I'm not mad. I guess I get it. Just not in the house."

"And spray my clothes with that stuff so they don't stink, and brush my teeth before I try and kiss you," Faith recited the rest of the house rules about her smoking. "You were never so picky about the cigarettes when we were just hooking up."

"Yeah, well we were just hooking up," Willow pointed out. "Now we live together with our daughter and our dog. And I never told you to quit smoking…"

"You hate it!"

Willow nodded, blinking slowly. "I do, but I never told you to quit…" She yawned helplessly. "I don't think this discussion is really relevant right now anyway," she pointed out.

"Exactly! Since I'm not smoking again! I just smoked _once_, today!" Faith said loudly. She paused, her temper cooled rapidly by the sight of Willow's pale weakness. "And you're in the hospital," she said, voice quieter. "Sorry, Will."

"It's okay," Willow said, obviously exhausted. "Give me a kiss and then go get Joy, please. I did hear you talking to her, didn't I?"

Faith nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead again. "Yeah, B and Xand took her out in the hall since we weren't sure how you were going to be when you woke up, but I'll go get her."

She was starting to move away when Willow grabbed her arm. "That wasn't what I meant by a kiss," she said weakly. "And make it count," she advised as Faith leaned over her again. The Slayer smirked, head dropping to drag her lips against Willow's.

"I smoked. And I know the rules." Her voice was low and scratchy as she spoke.

Willow nodded, her eyes sliding closed. "I think, just this once, I'll let it slide."

"I'm glad you're going to be okay," Faith whispered. Willow leaned up and kissed her, knowing that was as sentimental as Faith was going to get about it. And she was grateful. She was going to be okay, Faith was glad. That was all that needed to be said about it. One weak hand curled through Faith's hair to guide her closer. The Slayer sucked on her bottom lip for a long moment, but didn't push any deeper.

Willow was still breathing hard when they separated and Faith sighed. "Don't apologize," the witch said preemptively. "I'll be fine. Go get me our little girl, please?"

"Sure," Faith agreed quietly, Willow's fingers squeezing her wrist as she stepped back. She blinked as she backed away, turning at the door. Joy climbed off of Buffy's lap as soon as she opened the door, running to Faith. The Slayer picked her up, carrying her back to the bedside.

Willow had sat up as much as she could, her wrists turned to hide the worst of the cuts. Her bandages were clean, with no hint of blood, but she didn't want to frighten her with the sight of the thick gauze. Joy kicked against Faith's side and she put her gently into Willow's lap. "Missed you, Mommy," Joy said, looking curiously at the equipment. "What happened?"

Willow started explaining what had happened, keeping the details vague so she wouldn't scare the little girl. Faith lingered near the outskirts of the room, watching silently. Buffy had abandoned her wheelchair and was stretching her shoulders, alternately crossing her arms across her body and twisting. "Hey, when does legal stuff open?" Faith questioned suddenly, her voice low.

Buffy kept stretching, frowning at the dull ache of pain in her chest. "You mean like a lawyer, or the courthouse, something like that?"

"Yeah, something like that," Faith agreed, glancing out the window at where the sun was rising.

The blonde Slayer shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe nine, I guess?" She frowned, giving Faith a look. "Why?"

"I've got to go do something," Faith said, eyes shifting to Willow and Joy. "Will you stay with them?"

"Sure, but what are you…" There was no point in finishing since Faith was already out the door. "Never mind then," Buffy commented to herself.

* * *

It was hours before Faith returned with an older lady in tow. Buffy and Joy were playing a game on the floor and Xander was reading an ancient magazine in one of the stiff vinyl chairs. Willow was dozing in the bed, but they all looked up when Faith entered, giving the stranger a surprised look. "Hey," Faith greeted them all, waving awkwardly. She bit her lip when Willow gave her a look, gesturing to the old woman. "Babe, I'm glad you're awake." She lifted a thick file folder. "I need you to sign this and she's going to watch." The others gave her confused looks. "She's a notary."

Willow groaned as she pushed herself up, Faith dropping the folder in her lap to help her. The witch flipped through the pages, glancing up at Faith as she reached the pertinent sheets. "Wha-are you serious?"

"What is it?" Xander asked curiously.

"Her will," Willow said, and there was an edge in her voice that had both Xander and Buffy rising from their seats.

"Hey, Joy, let's go get some snacks," Buffy said wisely, leading the little girl out by the hand, Xander on their heels. He sensibly took the notary's arm and pulled her along, not sure she knew what to expect if she stayed in the room with the witch and the Slayer.

Willow waited until the door closed behind them, groaning again as she tried to sit up straighter. "Stop doing that," Faith requested. "You're going to pull your bandages off."

"You just gave me your _will_," Willow said sternly. "I can do whatever I want!"

"That doesn't even make sense," Faith pointed out reasonably, hands helping Willow until the witch swatted at her. "Don't hit me! I'm trying to do the right thing here!"

"By giving me your will?" Willow demanded. "What is that supposed to make me think?"

Faith shrugged, pacing at the foot of the bed. "It's supposed to make you think that I'm trying to look out for you. All I want is to take care of you and Joy if something happens to me."

"See? That's the part I don't like!" Willow countered. "The part where something happens to you and you're gone!"

Faith blinked, frowning. "I'm the Slayer, babe. You know what that means… I mean, B's died _how_ many times now?"

"But not _you_, Faith." Willow's voice was choked. "I can't lose you."

The brunette was silent for a long moment, swallowing through a dry throat. "Will, hon, scoot over," she said finally. It took her a few seconds to comply, but Faith was patient, slowly sliding onto the bed next to her. Willow curled into her chest, bandaged wrists across Faith's waist.

"I'm just… it scares me thinking that I might wake up one day and you won't be there," Willow said softly, watching her fingers pick at Faith's shirt.

Faith was quiet, breathing against Willow's hair. "What do you think happened to me today?" she said finally. "When Buffy came in…and said that you were taken, that you were gone…" She sighed, trailing her fingers through soft red hair. "I can't lose you either, Will."

The witch curled her hand in Faith's shirt, tilting her head back to look up at her. "But we can't change who we are," she said. "You're a Slayer. I'm a witch that works with Slayers. That's who we are…" She leaned up and kissed her cheek softly. "And you don't want to stop any more than I do. And I couldn't ask you to."

"You quit and I will," Faith teased. Willow blinked at her and the Slayer's smirk slipped. "I mean, like when we're old," she clarified quickly, hoping the witch wouldn't take her up on it.

Willow frowned, thinking it over. "I can't ask you to quit, Faith." She picked up the papers with a sigh. "Call the notary back in here. I'll sign whatever you want me to."

Faith didn't move, studying her lover's expression. "What about forty?" she asked suddenly.

"Forty what?"

"When we're forty," Faith said. "That's plenty old. Any older than that and it's just going to be pathetic to keep getting in fights. And we've got Joy. And she'll be growing up… Plus, like you said, we're not the only Slayer or witch out there now."

Willow laughed, the look on her face showing that she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. "You want to retire when we're forty? Seriously?"

Faith shrugged her shoulder under the witch's head. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Retire, retire? Like, quit the fights, and chasing down demons in the dark, and shopping in stinky magic shops? Just you and me and Joy doing…whatever normal people do?" Willow questioned doubtfully.

Faith nodded, giving her a look. "I know what retired means, Will! I just want to be with you for the rest of my life and I don't want that to just be the next six months, or a year, or whatever…I want a long time!" She realized abruptly that she'd said more than she intended, though Willow's expression told her that the sentiment wasn't unwelcome or unreturned. She still blushed, though, her ears burning suddenly. "Shut up!" she demanded petulantly, embarrassed.

"That's more like it," Willow said with a laugh, one hand rising to draw the Slayer into a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

Faith could hear Willow humming as she entered the hallway and she turned from her intended destination of the stairs and living room to continue on her way to their bedroom. "What's u…p?" she asked, her voice trailing off as she glanced up from the stack of mail in her hands to catch sight of Willow. "Whoa," she commented. "New skirt?"

Willow glanced down at herself with a shrug, not seeming to notice her lover's fascination. "Technically yes, but it's just a loan. I borrowed it from Buffy. Why?"

"You're obviously not seeing it from this side," Faith said lowly as she wandered closer, dropping the mail absently behind her. "I'm getting B a cake for this," she declared. "Or a new sword or something. Something she'll appreciate. Do you think she wants a new broadsword?" she mused, pacing a slow circle around the witch to admire the knee length black leather skirt Willow had on. It was set off nicely by the grass green blouse she was wearing.

"Actually, I think she needs a new crossbow string." Willow was distractedly picking out earrings and she gave her partner a confused glance. "What are you… Oh." She turned to look at herself in the mirror and Faith groaned appreciatively behind her. "Really?" she asked, grinning giddily.

"Oh yeah," Faith confirmed, her voice hoarse. "Is this all for me? Because you really don't have to…" She sidled up behind her as she spoke, curling one arm around her waist so her fingers could drag over the sliver of skin between Willow's top and the skirt that had so fascinated her.

"It's for Joy's teacher," Willow corrected her, laughing.

Faith paused, her chin on Willow's shoulder. "Um…what? Run that past me again," she requested.

"Parent's night at school," the redhead said, touching the hand at her waist. "So you've got to take a shower and get dressed," she reminded her. "You know you smell kind of like a toilet, right?"

Faith grumbled, having forgotten about the school function. "That's what it smells like in the sewers. Where do you think I've been all afternoon? Do I gotta go to this school thing? I stink!"

"Yes," Willow said immediately, turning to face her. "Joy wants you there."

Faith muttered under her breath for a moment, narrowing her eyes at her girlfriend as she put a hand on each of Willow's hips. "That's a low blow." They both knew that Faith would do anything for their daughter. She sighed heavily, her hands squeezing. "Fine, but you're hanging onto that skirt for a little bit longer," she bargained. Willow nodded, giggling. "Give me twenty. That going to be fast enough?"

Willow kissed her quickly before stepping back. "Thank you," she said cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah," Faith complained, taking another, longer, kiss. "You look good."

The witch blushed, biting her lip. "You're gorgeous, but filthy…" she countered, ducking away as Faith tried to swat her butt. "I'll walk Bones while you're in the shower." The Slayer growled in her throat as she wiggled her backside deliberately on her way out the door, Faith heading toward the now-destined-to-be-cold shower.

Willow gave her an appreciative wolf whistle as Faith appeared from the stairs twenty minutes later in tight, dark jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt that had the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, the thump of her boots on the hardwood floor announcing her entrance. "I like those jeans," the redhead said cheerfully, appreciating the clingy pants. "You _know_ I like those jeans," she said breathily as her eyes trailed back up slowly.

Faith was smirking as their eyes met, the Slayer shrugging. "Gotta bring the A-game to keep up with you," she said, looking down as Joy slammed into her leg. "Hey, kiddo. You ready to go back to school so we can meet your teachers?" She looked back up at Willow. "That is what happens at these things, ain't it?"

Willow looked amused as she picked up their car keys and whistled to Bones. "What? Have you never been to a parent-teacher night?" she questioned, holding the door open for Bones to go outside. Faith just lifted her eyebrows without speaking and Willow shrugged. "I guess not. That's what happens. We'll go sit in the little desks and the teachers will talk about what they're teaching our kid."

"And I made you a picture!" Joy chimed in happily, clapping her hands in excitement.

Faith leaned over and picked her up, tossing her into the air for a brief second before she caught her again. "I can't wait to see it," she said, catching Willow's fond smile out of the corner of her eye. "Let's go!" She put Joy down as the six year old kicked against her hands.

Willow led the way out as Faith snagged her leather jacket and Joy bolted past her parents to try and climb into her seat in the back of their Jeep by scaling the side of the vehicle. Willow blinked as Faith grabbed the keys from her hand, the Slayer jogging ahead to open the door for her. "What's that about?" the redhead asked, standing clear as Faith snagged Joy off the side of the car and lifted her over the side.

"I'm wearing the pants tonight," Faith pointed out with a devilish smirk. "I'm driving."

Willow's eyebrow lifted and she smiled. "Mmh, yes ma'am," she agreed, yelping as the Slayer slapped her butt as she was climbing into the car.

Faith just shrugged as she shut the door behind her, completely unapologetic. "I like that skirt," she said earnestly. "You all buckled up back there, Joy?" she checked, winking when the little girl nodded.

They parked and joined the crowd filing into the school as they arrived, Joy pulling Willow's hand to lead them to her classroom. She was eager to show off her desk and the cubby where she stored her lunchbox and jacket and they followed her patiently through the crowd of other parents and children doing the same thing. The kids all snapped to attention when the teacher rang a bell on her desk, a reaction she seemed pleased with, making Faith wonder how successful it was when her students weren't accompanied by their parents. Willow noticed her wicked smirk and gave her a swat to the arm, her eyes rolling.

"Students, if you'll go across the hall, your parents will join you there shortly," the teacher prompted with a smile. "And parents, if you'll take a seat."

Faith immediately gestured that Willow take the seat at Joy's little desk, stepping back with her arms across her chest. Willow rolled her eyes again but took the seat while Faith sidled up behind her. The witch smiled as she looked down and found their daughter's drawing of them, Faith's stick figure sporting unruly dark scribbles while her own was bright orange. There was a little Joy figure in between them, holding onto each of their hands. Faith's figure was holding what appeared to be a stake in her other hand, and she wondered what the teacher had made of that as she held it up for the Slayer to see.

Faith laughed, grinning down at her. "At least she didn't draw the scythe," she pointed out. "Can we take this home, you think?"

Willow nodded, holding her hand up to take it back. "I'll put it in my purse."

Faith gave it to her and resumed her arms crossed posture while the teacher started her lecture. She'd never paid attention in her own classes and she found her daughter's kindergarten lessons about as interesting. Willow noticed the Slayer's boredom, but it wasn't unexpected, and she didn't do anything until Faith started fidgeting with the buttons on her jacket, shifting her weight from side to side restlessly.

Faith shrugged as Willow looked up at her, able to see the rebuke in her partner's eyes without needing to hear it. "Fine," she muttered. _'You owe me,' _she thought, knowing that the witch would be able to hear her.

Willow smirked, head moving in a barely visible nod. Her attention went back to the teacher, and Faith concentrated on being still, focusing on the board on the far side of the room to keep from fidgeting. After what felt like forever, the older woman stopped talking and she let out a deep breath of relief, ignoring Willow's knowing look as the redhead stood up.

"You're off the hook," Willow said with a laugh. "I think all the dads in here were doing the same thing."

Faith shrugged, hands brushing the backs of her thighs. "You know how me and school mesh." She grinned charmingly. "I still managed to get a brain to fall for me," she pointed out.

"We were drunk," Willow pointed out, but she was smiling fondly.

"Not for the last ten years you haven't been," Faith teased with a raised eyebrow.

Willow leaned her head to the side and the tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips. "Well, you can _really_ wear those jeans," she countered, giggling as Faith groaned.

"Can we get Joy and go home now?" the Slayer asked, her voice low as she stepped closer only to trip over Joy's short plastic chair.

Willow laughed, covering her mouth with one hand while her other took Faith's and led her back down the narrow row between the seats. The brunette was grumbling under her breath, embarrassed about tripping, but Willow leaned over and pecked her cheek as they cleared the little chairs and tables. Faith had to keep her patience for a few more minutes as Willow chatted with the teacher, but she relieved when the witch was satisfied and gestured her toward the door. Parents were wandering in the hall, but Faith's enhanced hearing picked up a familiar set of sounds that stood out sharply against their surroundings and made her push her way forward quickly.

Willow could see her frown, letting the Slayer pull her through the crowd by the hand. They burst through the door of the room where the kids had been sent to find a group of children circled around two others who were apparently fighting. Faith forced her way into the circle as gently as she could while still moving quickly, picking up a few kids and setting them aside.

"Hey!" she barked, intercepting the next blow before it landed. "What's going on here?" she demanded, surprised to recognize one of the combatants as Joy. "What do you think you're doing?"

Willow was there then, narrowing her eyes at the assembled children. "You should all go find your parents," she suggested. "Now," she added more firmly. The silence was tense as they waited for the crowd to scatter. "What was that about, Joy?" Willow questioned when they were alone, Faith releasing her to step back. "You know what we've said about fighting!"

Joy's shoulders were back and she was defiant. "But Mom, you don't know what he…"

"It doesn't matter what he did," Willow countered. "You don't fight."

"Mama fights!"

"It's different and you know it. I fight bad things," Faith said, making an effort to keep her voice calm.

"You fight Aunt Buffy," Joy argued petulantly.

Faith and Willow exchanged looks, the Slayer taking a deep breath as she crouched down to be at their daughter's eyelevel. "I fight with your Aunt Buffy sometimes, you're right. But it's not the same as picking a fight at school."

Willow managed to restrain her snort of disbelief, sure that would only hurt their efforts. Faith gave her a look over her shoulder and the witch couldn't help shrugging. "It's no fair! He said stuff about you! How come I'm getting in trouble for it?" Joy demanded, stomping one foot.

Faith stiffened, looking back over her shoulder at Willow again as she took another deep breath. They had been expecting something like this to happen since Joy had started school, but now that it was upon them, they were both a little stunned. "Baby, you know that you can't…" She trailed off, at a loss for something to say.

"Just because you have two moms…" Willow started.

"It's not cause of that," Joy interjected, confused. "Todd's got two daddies."

Faith stood up slowly, exchanging confused looks with Willow. "Oh. Okay. Then what did he say that made you so mad?" she asked hesitantly.

Joy gave them an exasperated look that she could have only learned from watching Willow, and she crossed her thin arms across her chest. "I _tried _to tell you before!"

"I know, we're sorry," Faith said quickly. "What did he say, please?" They both knew they'd get nothing from her without the 'please.'

Joy took a moment, her wide hazel eyes traveling between her parents. "Todd said that you're not married, so if you break up nobody's going to want me and I'll have to go back to the orphanage." She said it all in one breath, her words tripping over each other as she rushed.

Willow shook her head in denial, crouching to pick Joy up. "Sweetheart, no. We want you." The little girl's face was buried in her shoulder and she rubbed her back soothingly. "We're _always_ going to want you. You're ours. Our daughter."

"And we're not going to break up," Faith added. "You've got nothing to worry about, Joy," she said, leaning over to meet her eyes as Joy slowly peeked up over Willow's shoulder. "You believe me, right? We're a family. You and me and your mom. That's how it's always going to be." Joy didn't answer, just curled her arms tighter around the redhead's shoulders. "Let's go home," Faith prompted, one hand brushing over Joy's hair. Of all the things to upset her, this wasn't one they'd anticipated.

Joy didn't want to let go of Willow to buckle into her seat, and the witch climbed into the backseat with her while Faith drove them home in silence. Their daughter was still upset when they got to the house and she ran straight upstairs to her room with Bones on her heels, leaving her parents in the kitchen to figure out a way to reassure her.

Willow slumped into a seat at the table, Faith joining her after she went by the fridge to pick up a beer. The witch gave her a look, but the Slayer just shrugged. "At least I'm not smoking," she said, taking a sip. They were both silent for a moment and Faith sighed. "What the hell is going on?"

"You mean how we're causing a stir among the local five and six year olds, not because we're gay, but because we're unmarried…?"

"It's a travesty," Faith intoned flatly, her sarcasm obvious.

"It's less funny to think about how Joy is upset about this," Willow reminded her pointedly.

Faith's face fell and she took another deep breath. "Oh yeah… Well, what can we do to fix it?"

Willow shrugged and reached over to steal the bottle from in front of Faith, taking her own long sip. "We'll just have to convince her that she's not going anywhere. And neither are we." She studied Faith's morose expression. "But even to spare Joy's feelings, you don't want to get married," she said knowingly. Faith groaned, her head dropping against the tabletop with a thud. Willow reached over to comb her fingers through the Slayer's hair. "It's fine," she said reassuringly.

"I don't really know that it is," Faith disagreed, her voice muffled. She turned her head under Willow's hand and her fingers kept moving slowly. "I mean, you're right, I don't, but do you know _why_ I don't want to get married?"

Willow shook her head silently, giving the Slayer a soft smile. "It's nothing you need to tell me. I don't mind…"

"I saw my dad split, you know, but then I watched my mom get married again," Faith interjected. "And not just once, but lots of times." She left her head on the table, but her eyes were on Willow's. "By the time I left I think she was on husband four, maybe." She sighed. "I guess she was trying to make it more stable and give me a dad, or whatever, but none of those guys stuck around and it just made everything worse…"

Willow frowned, sympathetic. "Faith, I…"

"Don't say you're sorry," Faith requested, sitting up and leaning back in her seat so the chair went back on two legs, the display of balance completely unconscious. She snagged her beer back from Willow and took a long pull before she put it back on the table between them. "I'm not scared of commitment, or whatever. At least not to you," she said honestly. "But marriage has never been a part of that. I grew up seeing exactly how much it's worth and it didn't really add up to much." She grimaced, hesitating. "So what should we do about this thing with Joy?"

It took a moment before Willow spoke, and when she did her voice was hoarse. "I think you should go upstairs and say all of that to Joy," she suggested.

Faith frowned, trying to think. "What did I say?" It took her a second to realize that there were tears in Willow's eyes and she leaned forward sharply, the chair legs hitting the floor with a thump. "You're crying. Why are you crying?" Willow wiped her eyes as she smiled, Faith standing up from her seat helplessly. "What did I do?" she questioned. "Will, come on! What did I do?"

Willow could see her lover panicking and she stood up quickly, hands rising to hold the Slayer still. "You said the right thing," she answered, voice thick.

Faith still looked twitchy, and she frowned. "But _what _did I say that was so right?"

"Marriage and commitment…that bit," Willow said. "They're not the same thing. People think they are, but they're not. You can be married and not committed at all to the person you're with."

Faith nodded, thinking it over. "But we're committed without being married," she said, finishing the thought. "That's what I said?" she asked doubtfully. "But, of course, it sounds better when you said it." She brushed the back of one hand over Willow's cheek, thumb curling up to swipe the tears from underneath her eye. "Why're you crying then?"

Willow shook her head, smiling. "You… I'm happy, Faith."

The Slayer narrowed her eyes, not sure about that answer. "I don't normally make you cry when you're happy," she pointed out. "If I screwed it up, you just have to tell me! You know I suck at guessing!"

"You didn't…" Willow abruptly decided that there was an easier way of making Faith see the truth, and she curled her hand around the back of her partner's neck and pulled her into a kiss. They were slow, Willow pressing closer to her until they were flat against each other. Faith let her in, curling both arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet. The Slayer took two long steps forward until Willow's back collided with the side of the fridge, the kiss deepening and growing more passionate.

"I guess you really _aren't_ upset," Faith breathed against her lips before recapturing them, one hand sliding up between the appliance and Willow's back to slide into her hair, the arm around her waist tightening to hold her up so that the witch's toes were just barely off the floor.

"I told you," Willow answered with a laugh as they separated after a few more long moments. "Put me down," she prompted, her own hands sliding to Faith's shoulders. "I'm really enjoying reassuring you, but we've still got to go talk to Joy," she reminded her, holding on as the Slayer lowered her gently back onto her feet.

Faith nodded, breathing deeply to steady her breath as she took a step back to give Willow room to move. Her brown eyes trailed down and she swallowed hard. "Yeah, you're right." Their encounter on the side of the refrigerator had dislodged a few magnets and her hand reached over Willow's shoulder to fix one. "Wait a sec," she said as something occurred to her. "Do you have Joy's picture in your purse? The one she drew at school?"

Willow nodded, getting it without a word and handing it over. Faith gave her an uncertain smile, drawing in another deep breath. "You're a good mom," Willow said finally, voice quiet.

Faith shrugged. "I bet that not what anyone expected," she said, looking down as the witch took her hand.

"I did," Willow stated, drawing her chin up with two fingers. "The first time I ever saw you with Joy I knew you'd be great with her. And I was right. You are." She kissed the Slayer again softly, smile distinctly pleased.

"Well, you're just a smarty-pants, know-it-all, aren't you?" Faith teased, laughing as the redhead nodded. "You'll come with me?"

"Anywhere you want to go," Willow promised, letting her lover lead her up the stairs. She paused in the doorway to their daughter's room, letting Faith approach the bed on her own.

Bones was lying at the foot of the bed, but he didn't move as they entered, just lifted his head for a look before he sighed and settled back in his spot. Faith took a seat on the edge of the bed, relieved that Joy didn't flinch away from her when she rested a hand on the young girl's shoulder. Their daughter was curled on her side, face turned away from the door.

"Joy," she stared quietly. "Joy, I want to tell you something." It took her moment, but the little girl turned over, sniffling. "Baby, you and your mom, you're my family." Joy looked up at her, blinking teary eyes. "That will never, ever change." She swallowed, trying to figure out what to say and feeling completely out of her depth. Give her something to fight and she was fine, but this - reassuring a little girl that she wasn't going to be left behind, this was something completely foreign. Willow's hand touched the back of her neck gently and she blew out a deep breath.

"We're not going anywhere, Joy," Willow said softly. She pointed out the picture in Faith's lap. "Who's that?" she asked, finger aimed at the figure she knew was Faith.

"Mama," Joy answered, voice barely audible. She curled closer, her own little hand indicating Willow's half of the drawing. "And this one is you, Mommy," she said after a moment.

"And who's this with us?" Faith prompted, voice low.

"That's me," Joy said, looking up at her parents.

The Slayer swallowed hard, feeling Willow's hand slide off of her as the witch moved to sit on the other side of the bed. "Can I tell you about when I was little like you?" Faith started hesitantly. Joy nodded, obviously curious. The Slayer cleared her throat and Willow gave her a supportive smile. "When I was a kid, my mom used to get married a lot. She was trying to take care of me, but the guys she brought around, they weren't good. They weren't good people."

"Mommy's good," Joy pointed out, looking at Willow.

Faith gave them both a smile, nodding. "Mommy's really good," she agreed, giving the witch a wink.

"So how come you don't marry her?" Joy asked, confused.

"Your Mama doesn't want to get married. Because getting married doesn't mean that you love each other. Just like us not being married doesn't mean that we don't love each other, because we do! Sharing a life, like we all do, doesn't mean we need to get married," Willow said, smiling. "We're a family without that."

Joy frowned, thinking that over. "What do you think, Joy? Do you get it?" Faith asked. "Marriage doesn't mean that much to me. All that matters to me is you and your mom."

"I love you, Mama," Joy announced, throwing herself forward into the Slayer's arms.

Faith met Willow's eyes over their daughter's head, her own eyes wide as she hugged the little girl. The witch smiled, mouthing the same sentiment silently. Faith blinked, nodding. "Love you too," she said hoarsely, her eyes still on Willow.

Joy pulled back after a few minutes and she smiled tiredly up at her parents, letting Willow pull her into her lap for a hug. "Sleepy, sweetheart?" she questioned softly, kissing her head when Joy nodded. "Well, let's get you in bed." She coaxed Joy down, laying down next to her and singing softly. Faith watched them for a few long moments before she laid down as well, combing her fingers through Joy's hair.

It never took their daughter long to fall asleep, but they didn't move even after her breathing deepened and settled into its slow rhythm. Faith leaned up on her arm to look down at them, smirking as she noticed that Willow's eyes were closed. A smile told her that her lover wasn't asleep, though.

"Come on," Willow whispered, one eye cracking open. "Let's let her sleep." Faith got off the narrow twin bed without a sound or a tremor and moved around the bed to lift Willow. "Anyone ever tell you that you're freakishly strong?" the witch murmured, head rolling to rest against the Slayer's shoulder.

"You don't weigh anything," Faith said, amused. Her foot nudged Joy's door as they left the room, leaving it opened just a crack to let in some light from the hall and so Bones would be able to let himself out of the room. "I'm not tired, but if you want to go to bed…"

"I'm with you," Willow said, opening her eyes. "I can even walk if you want to put me down."

Faith shrugged, already moving soundlessly down the stairs. She let Willow down at the bottom, smiling uncertainly. "How'd I do up there?"

Willow stood on her toes to kiss her quickly, smiling as she pulled back. "You did great, Faith. You told the truth. She understands now."

"You know we now have a troublemaker child, right?" Faith reminded her, curling her arms around Willow's hips. "Started a fight at school and everything."

The witch arched an eyebrow, lips curled up in a smirk. "I hadn't thought of it like that, but I guess you're right."

"Must be my bad influence," Faith joked, walking them back slowly.

"Shut up," Willow said, pushing Faith down onto the couch and then dancing away as the Slayer reached up to pull her down as well. "Joy looks up to you."

"And there's were my bad influence comes in," Faith said, laughing as Willow skipped off toward the kitchen. "It's not intentional. I'm just not…"

"You're a good mom," Willow interjected, returning with drinks. "And a good person." She smirked suddenly. "But if she even jokes about dropping out, I'll…" She was in reach now and Faith pulled her down with one hand, cutting her off with another kiss.

"You'll what?" Faith challenged brashly as she lifted her head. Willow's legs had landed across her lap and one hand dragged toward Willow's knee, thumb circling on the cool leather covering her leg. "Ooh, you know, I had almost forgotten about this."

"You still owe Buffy a present," Willow said with a laugh.

"I certainly do," Faith agreed earnestly, watching Willow stretch to put their drinks on the coffee table and admiring the strip of skin she was flashed as the redhead's shirt hem moved with her. The hand on Willow's knee curled under the bottom of her leg and she pulled her in, causing the witch to yelp in surprise.

"What? Faith, if you keep pulling on me, I'm going to spill these!" Willow warned her.

"I'm not thirsty anyway," the Slayer said hoarsely, pulling her leg again.

Willow was knocked off balance by the move, and it took her a few moments to get her equilibrium back. "Faith, what are you…? Oh." It didn't take a genius to interpret Faith's expression, and Willow Rosenberg was no idiot. "You _really_ like this skirt."

"I really like what's under it, but the leather just… It's a good skirt," the Slayer finished dumbly. Her hand slid over the top of Willow's thigh to hook two fingers in her waistband, using the grip to pull her fully into her lap. She leaned over to kiss her before Willow could protest, not that she would.

Buffy did though, spinning to turn her back on them as she saw hands in places she didn't want to see them. "Will-oh! Come on! You've got company! Get off of her!" The blonde peeked over her shoulder when she heard movement, grimacing when she saw Faith's glare.

"Knocking isn't possible?" the Slayer demanded as she let Willow go and leaned forward to get her drink, slamming back a long swallow. "What are you even doing here?"

"I came to check on how it went at school… I didn't think you were going to be _touching_ my best friend in the living room!" Buffy protested.

"We've been living together for _how_ long and you're still…!" Faith shot back. "We _do_ sleep together! Frequently even!"

Willow stood up quickly before the Slayers could go further. "Okay, stop it! We're not doing this again. Buffy, why don't you come in and have a seat and we'll tell you what happened at school. Do you want something to drink? Beer, juice, milk, or water?"

"Yes, beer, please," the blonde agreed hoarsely, sinking into a chair while Faith continued to glare at her. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Fine," Faith growled as Willow returned. "You can make it up to us. Will needs to keep the skirt for a few more days," she informed her counterpart smugly, smirking proudly as Buffy groaned, pounding herself in the head with the heel of her hand.

"Willow!" Buffy whined. "Control her, please," she requested.

The witch rolled her eyes, handing over the beer bottle. "Actually, she's wearing the pants tonight," she said without thinking, unable to help laughing as Buffy's eyes widened and she choked on her drink.

Faith was laughing wildly on the couch and she pulled Willow down close beside her. "I hate you both," Buffy said when she could breathe, eyes narrowed at the pair on the sofa. "Can we please not talk about sex?"

"You brought it up, B!" Faith crowed, arm casually across the back of the couch behind Willow's shoulders. The witch gave her thigh a swat in warning, but her body settled against Faith's side and the Slayer's beer bottle holding hand came to rest on Willow's knee as the redhead curled her legs up.

"Anything else!" Buffy pleaded, squeezing her eyes closed.

"Joy got in a fight," Willow interjected before Faith could say anything else to tease Buffy. The blonde looked surprised, and she related the story. "She's sleeping now, but we had to talk to her about marriage and everything."

Buffy leaned back in her chair, taking a small sip of her drink with a glance up toward the ceiling. "That's rough. Poor kid." She sighed. "As if we'd let her go, even if Faith is stupid enough to let Willow get away."

Faith growled, hand sliding possessively over the witch's knee. "Buffy," Willow chided her patiently. "Faith and I aren't going to break up."

"And you're still not getting married?" Buffy questioned idly, rolling her beer between both hands.

Faith sighed and Willow's hand dropped to graze over her lover's stomach, tips of her fingers finding their way between the buttons to touch her skin soothingly. "Nope," Willow said calmly. "We're doing great the way we are. We're happy. And we've got Joy."

"Not pushing," Buffy said quickly, grinning as she toasted them with her bottle. "Believe me, I couldn't be more thrilled that you guys are happy. You both deserve it. And you couldn't have gotten a better kid than Joy."

"You're right about that," Faith chimed in, smiling fondly.

"And if that's all you need, then good for you guys," Buffy said, giving her friends a nod.

"That's everything," Faith said lowly, scarcely audibly by Willow. Buffy probably could hear her as well, but she couldn't bring herself to care. For all that she liked to pretend that she was oblivious when it came to them, the blonde knew exactly how deeply she felt for Willow. There was no sense in hiding it. Willow leaned further into her with a smile across the room at Buffy, moving her fingers slowly against Faith's stomach.

"She at least won the fight, didn't she?" Buffy asked, smirking.

Faith blinked, frowning. "Actually, I broke it up, but now that you mention it, her form wasn't great."

"You guys aren't training her to fight," Willow chimed in dryly, snaking the beer from Faith's hand for herself.

"Where's your drink?" the brunette asked, pretending annoyance.

"All the way on the table," Willow complained, pointing at the coffee table right in front of them. "Yours was closer."

"Why can't we teach her?" Buffy demanded. "It'll help her. And it'll be fun!"

"I don't want my daughter fighting," Willow insisted. "You both fight and get hurt and I don't want that for Joy. I don't even want it for either of you."

The Slayers exchanged looks and Faith shrugged her shoulder under Willow's head. "It's a little bit different for us, babe. She would never be out on patrol or anything. Learning could teach her discipline. And it's fun!"

"You know we'd never hurt her, Will," Buffy added. "We'd never let her get hurt." She gave her best friend a pleading smile. "Come on… you know you want to let us do it!"

Willow felt Faith nod behind her and she sighed. "Fine. As long as it's just training. And she has to want to do it. If she wants to play sports or something, you guys just let it go."

"Sure," Buffy agreed.

"Yeah," Faith added, grinning excitedly as she squeezed the witch's knee, causing her to giggle.

They shared a moment of companionable silence before the hand on Willow's knee took a quick detour under the bottom hem of the leather skirt. It took her a moment, but Buffy choked again as she noticed. "Got the message, Faith! I'm going!" she yelped. "Night!" She left her mostly empty beer bottle on the coffee table beside Willow's wine glass and was gone a few moments later.

"That was mean!" Willow chided, swatting the Slayer's belly. "We were having a nice talk. It's rare that you two are playing so nicely when Joy's not around."

"It got her to leave," Faith responded. "She interrupted us!" she reminded her, voice a low rumble in the witch's ear before her teeth closed on the shell. Her hand moved down the redhead's leg as she spoke and Willow's eyes dragged themselves closed shakily. "Where were we?"

Willow struggled to concentrate enough to speak, and it took her a long moment to answer. "About there…" she gasped her agreement, giving up the resistance.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, this one gets a preface because it's a little bit outside the standard for this story. This chapter is darker and deals with Willow and Faith's histories somewhat. There's nothing graphic, but it deals with the aftermath of violence, so just be warned - if it's not your thing, I'd wait and just read the next one (because coming up in the next chapter - actual plot! *gasp*)

Also, the first section of this one reads a bit like a prologue for the rest of the chapter but I liked it and didn't want to cut it, so I hope it doesn't bother anyone that it's not fully connected to the rest of the chapter...

* * *

Willow was quiet, had been quiet all day. She was reading on the couch when Faith came in, having just put Joy down for bed while Willow had cleaned up from dinner. The Slayer hesitated in the doorway, watching her as she thought hard. The redhead had been pensive all day, not talking much and lingering at a subtle distance, but Faith couldn't think of a single thing she'd done to earn her the witch's annoyance.

She sighed as she gave up trying to figure it out herself and moved forward to vault over the coffee table and landed on the other end of the couch from her lover. "What did I do?" she questioned simply.

Willow glanced up from her book briefly. "What do you mean? You didn't do anything."

"I must've done something! You hardly said two words to me all day." Faith sat on the armrest, her elbows on her knees. "Just tell me what it was and I'll make it up to you." Willow just blinked at her, brow furrowing. "Come on! What did I do? Forget our anniversary? Forget to pick Joy up from school? What was it?"

"You didn't do anything," Willow repeated. She leaned over to pat the Slayer's leg soothingly. "Don't worry about it."

"No!" Faith denied, bouncing forward to sit on the couch, facing her with one leg curled underneath herself. "Now I know there's something I'm not supposed to worry about! Tell me what it is."

Willow closed her book on a bookmark, leaning forward to put it on the coffee table. "Faith…it's really not a big deal."

"Bull! There is something wrong!" Faith scowled sullenly. "Did something happen at training today?" Willow shook her head, mouth open to speak before the Slayer cut her off with more questioning. "Joy have trouble at school?" Another negative. "Is B okay? Something happen to Xander? One of the girls hit on you? One of the guys?" Willow sent her a sharp look and Faith laughed weakly, playing with the torn-out knee of her jeans. "Okay, I wasn't really hoping for that one." She hesitated, swallowing hard. "You're not sick or dying or something, are you?"

"No," Willow said firmly. "I would tell you if I was sick, Faith!"

"Good, I would hope so," Faith said, sighing heavily. "So, what's wrong? If I did something, just tell me!"

The redhead leaned forward, her long hair sliding in front of her face. "It's really nothing for you to worry about, Faith."

Faith grumbled, standing up suddenly. "Fine," she agreed. "You just call me when you decide you do need me to worry."

Willow winced as the kitchen door slammed behind her. Her first impulse was to follow her lover and explain, but she couldn't leave Joy in the house alone. "Damn it," she muttered to herself. Bones wandered over, his tail wagging slowly as he put his head in her lap. "You're not mad at me, are you, boy?" She scratched his ears and he sighed. "Good boy." She could hear a sudden thump in the yard and Bones turned toward the door, barking.

Willow followed him toward the door, squinting into the dark and hitting the switch for the porch light. "I thought you left," she commented as she opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Faith didn't speak, just punched the tree in their yard again. "Stop doing that," Willow said sternly. "You're going to break your hand."

"You can't tell me what to do," Faith reminded her, striking the tree another blow for good measure.

"Don't be a child!" Willow chided her, rushing down the stairs to jerk her away from the tree. "You're mad at me, get mad at _me_!" she demanded.

"You won't talk to me!" Faith shot back. "You've been quiet all day, you pull away from me. I _tried _to talk to you, Willow! You wouldn't say anything!"

The witch sighed, head dropping into her hand, and Faith turned back to the tree in frustration after a few moments of silence. "Do you ever think about it?" Willow finally asked from behind her, voice low.

"Think about what?" Faith asked wearily, grimacing at the blood that was running down her hand from her busted fist.

"What we've done…"

Willow's meaning was clear and the Slayer closed her eyes to see the dark alley, the blood on her hands, on Buffy's hands. "Every single day," she answered hoarsely. "Will…" Her eyes opened and her hand was still bloody, the sight of the fresh red blood sending a chill down her spine.

"I murdered him today," the witch cut her off.

"Willow," Faith said, shaking off her own memories and turning to face her, using her injured hand to lift her partner's chin. "Look at me," she ordered firmly as Willow's eyes rolled away from her. She could see the redhead's guilt and pain as their eyes met, and she sighed. "He was a murderer…"

"So am I," Willow responded.

"And so am I," Faith reminded her. "Hell, so is Andrew! But there's something different about you, Willow. You killed the person that murdered someone that you love. I know we're not supposed to say he deserved it, and I wasn't there, but he murdered Tara, had killed his ex and tried to frame B for it. From where I stand, he got what he deserved. Andrew killed his best friend. And me, I killed some poor innocent sucker who was trying to help us…" Willow's brow furrowed and she looked like she would have protested if her jaw wasn't in Faith's grip. She blinked wide green eyes and slow tears rolled down her cheek. "Let's go inside," Faith said quietly, her voice rough.

Willow stepped back as the Slayer released her chin, her eyes falling to Faith's bleeding hand. "We need to wrap that up," she said hoarsely. Faith nodded without protesting, knowing that Willow wouldn't accept her Slayer healing as an excuse not to take care of her hand.

The witch put the Slayer on the couch and went to the bathroom for the first-aid kit. Willow sat on the coffee table in front of her, cleaning the scrapes and wrapping her knuckles with cotton bandaging. "Does it hurt?" she asked softly, green eyes not lifting from her partner's hand.

"Every day," Faith answered, voice gruff and low. "We can never really let go of what we did, Willow. We've killed people. B's the Slayer, but she's never killed, not really. She's not like us, babe."

"I know that," Willow agreed.

"Me, you, Angel, we all have to try and make up for what we did." Willow looked glum and Faith's injured hand under her chin lifted her face. "You're doing fine," she said earnestly, swallowing hard. She laughed quietly. "I know I'm probably not the best person to take advice from, but here's what I think…" Brown eyes surveyed her seriously. "I think that you letting that piece of shit obsess over him sucks. He's not worth it. You help people. You save people's lives every day!"

"It doesn't make up for us killing them," Willow reminded her.

"I know that," Faith said, still serious. "But we're not those people anymore. If we hadn't changed, we'd be Bonnie and Clyde-ing all over the place. Or would it be Thelma and Louise-ing? Either way it would be hot…" That comment got a smile from Willow and Faith grinned. "Hot, but wrong. So instead we do our saving people from unspeakable evil thing."

"And it's still hot?" Willow asked softly.

Faith blinked, nodding confidently. "Hell yeah!" Her head cocked to get a better look at Willow's expression. "You get what I'm saying?"

"We're hot?"

"You already knew that part," Faith corrected her, sliding forward on the couch to rest her hands on Willow's knees.

The witch took a deep breath, nodding. "Thank you, Faith." She smiled and the Slayer's hands curled under the back of her knees.

"You're welcome, Will," Faith murmured. "Come here," she coaxed, pulling her forward by her legs.

Willow obliged and moved to straddle the brunette. "Here?" She was up on her knees and Faith leaned her head back to look up at her.

"That's about right," Faith breathed, hands sliding around her backside. She pulled Willow down to her as she craned up to kiss her. "This is better," she breathed against her lips. Willow nodded and kissed her again, letting her lover's hands pull her closer.

The kisses were slow, the witch's hands holding Faith's face. Faith let her own hands drag up and down Willow's back, moaning into a kiss as she felt the tension in the witch's shoulders. She rolled her knuckles firmly against the knots, drawing a groan from Willow. "Don't stop," she gasped before kissing her again.

Faith obeyed, still kissing her as she worked on the tense muscles. "You need to relax," she said on a gap for breath.

"Working on it," Willow answered, smiling as she captured her lips again firmly. Faith adapted to the deeper kiss without fumbling and Willow's hands moved to brace herself on the back of the couch as the Slayer pulled her in. Faith nipped her lips, letting her tongue be sucked into the redhead's mouth. Both hands spread flat against the witch's back and she pressed her closer.

"Will…" Faith's exhalation was interrupted as she heard something. "Son of a…" She shifted her hands to the witch's hips and held her still.

Willow groaned, dropping her face against her lover's shoulder. "Buffy?" she asked, both of them familiar with their friend's unfortunate tendency to burst in when they were close.

"Joy," Faith answered, recognizing the lighter step of their daughter on the floor above them. She waited for a moment, debating, but Willow leaned back and gave her another quick kiss.

"I'll go," she said softly, lifting herself reluctantly off of Faith's lap. She paused at the base of the stairs, looking back at the Slayer on the sofa. Neither one spoke, but Willow gave her a soft smile across the distance, Faith returning it with a wink as she slouched back against the couch.

Willow made hot chocolate before she returned to the sofa, dropping to sit down next to Faith and handing over a mug. "Cocoa?" Faith said, looking down into her cup. "Sexy, babe."

The corner of Willow's mouth curled up in a tiny smile as she shrugged. "I felt like cocoa," she said simply, taking a sip of hers. "I put extra marshmallows in yours."

"Thanks." Faith gave her a smile and blew the steam from her cup. She was still slouching, knees wide. Neither one spoke for a long moment, the Slayer taking a deep breath. "You still letting it bug you?"

Willow turned her mug around in her hands. "Is there any reason I shouldn't?" she asked softly.

"He's not worth it," Faith answered promptly. She paused, eyes shooting sideways at the redhead. "Do you think I don't let it bother me enough?"

"No," Willow said, shaking her head. "Everyone deals with things differently." She rubbed Faith's knee soothingly. "And it's not like you're some creepy loner or anything. You've got a hot girlfriend and the most adorable kid in the world, so it's not like you're not well-adjusted or anything."

Faith considered that, pursing her lips. "So are you saying that I might just have to give you one day to be all sad and mopey about it every once in a while?"

Willow smiled helplessly, leaning over to put her head on Faith's shoulder, the Slayer curling her arm around her. "Maybe so."

"Fine, just not too often, okay?" Faith requested. "Sad is not my favorite look on you."

Willow laughed, dragging the bottom of her mug over the top of Faith's thigh. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, what was up with Joy?" Faith asked, taking a sip of her chocolate.

The witch sighed, though she was still smiling. "The dream…"

"No…not again," Faith denied.

"You know this is your fault for telling her that story," Willow countered.

"I didn't know it would give her nightmares!"

"How is a _true_ story about crocodiles trying to eat you not going to give her bad dreams?" The witch lifted her head to give her partner a look, lips curled in a smirk.

"I was using stuffed animals as puppets!" Faith said. "And they didn't eat me! I even changed the story so I didn't hurt the crocs at the end…" Willow was still giving her the same look and shook her head. "She wanted a bedtime story," Faith said, shrugging. "I don't know any of the real ones…"

Willow's smirk softened and she leaned up to kiss the Slayer's cheek. "I'll get you a book," she promised. "And I might have to sit in on one of these puppet story times." Her voice was teasing, but soft and slow. "I bet it's cute."

"Alright! Enough about that," Faith interjected quickly. "What happened to me helping you relax? That was making progress, I thought!"

Willow smirked, but hooked the handle of Faith's mug with a finger and leaned forward to put both mugs on the coffee table. "It was…" She pivoted on her knee to resume her position on Faith's lap. The Slayer was slouched in such a way that Willow was sitting on her hipbones. Faith lifted her feet, planting her boots on the edge of the coffee table and bending her knees so that Willow was supported.

Willow was still smirking, both hands meeting and their fingers combing together. Faith shifted underneath her, balancing her girlfriend on her lap. "You know what they say about bad posture, Faith," the witch teased her.

"What do they say?" Faith asked, voice low.

Willow paused, eyeing her speculatively. "From this angle it's pretty hot," she confessed.

The Slayer's eyebrows rose slowly, a smirk growing on her lips as she leaned up on her elbows, hands resting on Willow's hips. "Well, that's good to know… That might have something to do with the fact that you're sitting on me, though," she pointed out teasingly.

"Maybe," Willow conceded, kissing her softly.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, the air warm and breezy while the grass was fresh and green under their feet. All together, it was a beautiful, perfect day. Joy was playing happily in the yard with Bones, Faith on the far side of the yard wrestling with the lawn mower with Buffy watching Joy. Willow had gone to the magic shop to pick up an order.

Faith's hand was just slightly sore from her assault on the tree two nights before, but there were chores to be done and she was the one who'd punched a tree. The brunette tightened the bolt under the mower to hold the blade in place, hearing her daughter laughing beyond her feet where she was stretched out on her back in the grass, the small push-mower sitting on concrete blocks over her. Bones barked and leaves crunched as they played, but Buffy's gasp got her attention. "Oh my God, Will…"

Faith leaned up to look, catching sight of Willow's bright hair before her head collided sharply with the underside of the mower. "What the hell?" she demanded as she caught sight of her lover's face, sliding out from where she was working and rushing forward. Joy made an extended 'oooh' noise behind her, having been lectured for saying 'crap' earlier in the day. "What happened to you?" Faith said, stepping closer for a better look. Willow ducked her face, trying to hide the bruises and cuts from Joy, but Faith gently pushed her head up. "Who did this?" Faith growled. "They're dead…"

"Buffy…" Willow said, meeting the blonde's eyes over Faith's shoulders. Her eyes moved toward Joy, as much as they could under the bruises, at least, and the Slayer got the message and led the little girl back toward the house.

"Will, tell me who did this," Faith demanded, wiping a slow rolling drop of blood from Willow's cheek. "I owe them pain."

The witch winced, catching Faith's hand as she jerked back. "No, Faith! I've said that before. It never ends well. It never will." She squeezed the Slayer's hands. "Not for us."

"They hurt you, they're dead," Faith laid it out in her simple logic, voice stern. "What did it? How many were there?"

"Six, six or seven," Willow answered hoarsely. "Faith, they weren't demons."

"Vamps, I don't care. I'll kill them all," Faith said forcefully, head cocking to inspect a small cut on the witch's neck.

"They're humans. You can't do anything," Willow told her.

"Someone is going down for this. I don't care who they are," the Slayer denied.

Willow shook her head, groaning. "Faith, no!" She knew that Faith was mad, too angry to see how dangerous what she was saying really was. The Slayer's temper was driving her now, could drive her too far without much more encouragement.

"How'd they get you, anyway? You're a mega-witch. I guess they were muggers?" Her fingers combed bloody red hair back to inspect a laceration near her scalp. "Soon to be dead muggers," she growled.

"Stop saying that," Willow requested, frustrated. "You can't kill them." Faith was still surveying her injuries and the witch pushed her head up to look her in the eyes. "I can't lose you, Faith! Not like that!" She took a shuddery breath. "If you do this I'm going to lose you…"

"I can handle myself," Faith reminded her. "And so can you," she said pointedly. "How did this happen?"

Willow looked away, unconsciously rubbing her wrists. "My hands were restrained," she said lowly. She knew there was no way to avoid telling Faith, but she feared the Slayer's reaction.

Faith frowned, blood suddenly feeling like ice in her veins. "Willow…" The witch still wouldn't look at her and she felt her hands flex compulsively. "Did they…?"

"…didn't," Willow whispered, shaking her head slightly. Faith pulled her into her arms, her heart suddenly pounding wildly with relief. The redhead's arms curled up her back, the witch trembling as she clung to her. "Faith," she whimpered, her face buried in the Slayer's shoulder.

"I'm here. I've got you," Faith promised. Willow was shaking, and she leaned over to curl an arm under her legs. "You're okay. It's going to be alright." Buffy had left the door open, and she got the screen door open with the toe of her boot. Thankfully, Joy wasn't in sight, and she got Willow upstairs without notice.

She started to put her down on the bed, but Willow protested weakly. "Bathroom," she groaned. "Don't get blood on my sheets." It was a weak joke and Faith didn't smile.

Willow hung onto her shoulders as Faith helped her stand up. "What can I do? What do you need?"

"I want to take a shower," Willow said, reaching up to wipe tears from her face. "Please, Faith…"

"Shh, it's okay," the Slayer said quickly. "I'll help you. What can I do?" She hated sounding so pathetic when Willow was the one who'd…her mind quickly avoided that thought. Willow pushed at her clothes, struggling to get her jacket off. Faith quickly intercepted her hands, helping her strip it off without hurting herself. There were more bruises on her arms, the sight making Faith's rage roar louder in her head. Someone was going to pay for this.

Together they got the witch's clothes off, every newly revealed bruise or cut making Faith's wrath grow. Defined finger-shaped bruises around Willow's ankles made her close her eyes, unable to look at them and maintain her tenuous grip on self-control. She turned to start the water, helping Willow in when it warmed up. "How's that?" Faith asked, starting to close the curtain.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked weakly, holding onto the wall to keep from collapsing to the floor in tears.

"Give you time, get some air," Faith said hoarsely.

"I don't want you to go," Willow said, other hand reaching out to her. "Stay," she requested, curling her fingers into brown hair. Faith considered her for a long moment, finally kicking off her boots and joining the witch in the shower. She was still in her clothes, the warm water soaking into her shirt, her jeans, her socks.

Willow pulled Faith's arm around her, stepping under the water and hissing as the heat stung her various cuts and scrapes. Blood joined the water flowing down the drain, and Faith had to close her eyes again. "Why can't you just make them all go away?" she asked softly. "You could make it stop hurting."

Willow hissed as the spray hit a new set of cuts as she ducked her face in the water. "That's not how it's supposed to work," she answered. "I tried before. When Warren took Tara. I tried to end the pain and it almost destroyed me. All I did was make it worse. Pain is part of life. I can't just take it away…"

"Screw that," Faith interjected. "You got attacked, attack back!"

Willow's fingers shook as they touched Faith's hands on her sides. "Hon, no… We can't afford to think like that. _I_…I can't be like that ever again." She leaned back against the Slayer, feeling her trembling intensify as steam clouded up around them. "I don't want you to, either," she whispered.

"I'm trying here," Faith confessed, voice rough. "That's the best I got." She took a shuddery breath. "They hurt you. I want them to suffer."

Willow squeezed her eyes closed, her head rolling back to lean on Faith's shoulder. "Please, no."

The Slayer groaned. "I'm trying, Will." She touched the dried blood in Willow's red hair. "Let's just take care of you, okay?" Willow didn't respond, and Faith coaxed her forward, back under the water. Slow fingers massaged her scalp, working the blood out of her hair. The water at their feet was running clear now, no hint of pink, and Faith reached forward to turn the water off. "I'll get you a towel. Don't move."

Willow obeyed, letting Faith wrap her up and carry her to their bed. The brunette helped her into one of her own long sleeved t-shirts and a pair of underwear, Willow curling into the pillow and burying her nose in the collar of the shirt. "It smells like you," she murmured. "I like it." She looked up, Faith lingering beside the bed without touching it, her own clothes still dripping from the shower. "Will you stay? At least until I fall asleep?"

Faith nodded, pulling her sticky clothes off and dropping them uncaringly on the carpet. Normally, Willow would have said something about leaving sopping wet clothes on the floor, but it was a testament to her state that she didn't even blink. Faith slipped on clothes to match Willow's level of dress and slid in with her, pulling her protectively into her arms. "I won't let anyone hurt you again," she promised gruffly.

"I know you won't," Willow whispered. "But I can't let you get hurt, either."

"Some punks can't hurt me," Faith denied. "Not since they already pissed me off."

"That's not what I mean. If you go after them…it's too much, too close to who we were…"

Faith was quiet. She knew that her lover was right, that seeking vengeance wasn't a wise move, but her temper wouldn't accept the reasonable solution of letting it go. Even after years with Willow, of being the good girl, there was still something inside her that couldn't let go of the desire to take matters into her own hands.

Willow's head was heavy on her arm, the redhead shifting backwards into her body, sighing softly as she felt the warmth of them surround her. She was safe with Faith, not a feeling she'd ever thought she'd have when she was in high school. But if the Slayer was there, no one could touch her. It was the only thing that could have relaxed her enough to sleep at that moment. She was still tense, nervous, but she was warm, and it was quiet, and nothing could get her in Faith's arms.

"How'd it happen?" Faith asked, breaking the silence. She knew she probably shouldn't push Willow so soon after it had happened, but she couldn't help her burning need to know what had happened.

Willow sighed, curling closer to her partner unconsciously. "Faith…"

"I have to know, babe. How could they possibly take you down?"

"They've attacked witches before," the redhead said softly, stiffening before she turned over to face the Slayer. "It was obvious. They knew what to do to disable… And they were fast…" She blinked back tears and swallowed hard. "They weren't expecting me to be so strong, though. I don't need words to cast anymore."

"That's my girl," Faith said proudly, pulling her closer.

The witch took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes closed. "I don't, I can't talk about this… Can we just sleep?" she pleaded, relieved when Faith guided her head down to her shoulder. The Slayer's fingers trailed gently through her hair, the touch soothing her.

The sun was up, birds still chirping outside, the sound audible through their open bedroom window, but none of it kept Willow from sleep, her body exhausted. Faith could feel her relax against her own body, but she couldn't force herself to follow. Her every muscle was tight, nerves on fire. She turned onto her back, one arm pinned underneath Willow's neck and shoulder. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, and she gingerly extracted herself from the bed, pulling on a pair of jeans.

She left Willow sleeping and padded downstairs silently. Buffy was at the kitchen table playing cards with Joy, and they both looked up. "How is she?" Buffy asked, putting her cards down.

"Where's Mommy?" Joy questioned, hopping off her seat and running to Faith.

The Slayer picked her up, the little girl sitting on her hip. "She's upstairs sleeping."

"What happened to her?" her daughter asked.

"Some bad guys hurt her, but she's going to be okay," Faith promised. She met Buffy's eyes, her own fears reflected in the blonde's eyes. "Just some cuts and bruises, nothing else." She knew her message had been received when Buffy let out her deep breath, the Slayer's shoulders slumped in relief. "We've just got to let her get some sleep, okay Joy? We'll go check on her in a little bit."

"Okay, Mama," Joy said, looking confused and a little frightened.

"Hey, listen to me. Your mom's going to be fine, okay? She loves you very much. I'm sure it's going to help her so much when you go see her," Faith told her, carrying her to the table. "Now, do you want to go enjoy this nice afternoon? Take Bones into the backyard," she said, letting her down. "I need to talk to your Aunt Buffy." Joy ran off, the big chocolate lab following her eagerly. "Leave the door open," Faith called after her. She knew Bones would alert her if anyone was around the house, but after Willow's encounter, she didn't trust Joy being far out of sight.

"How is she, really?" Buffy questioned.

Faith sighed, frustrated. "Tired and scraped up, but they didn't do…" She dropped into a seat at the table, head falling into her hands. "She said that they tried to…but I guess she got away. I didn't really ask for details about that part."

"So she'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Faith agreed, voice heavy. "Not that I did anything to help…"

"I'm sure she wouldn't agree," Buffy said sternly. "Faith, what are you thinking here?"

The dark-haired Slayer gave her a look. "You know what I want," she said flatly. "They deserve to suffer."

"Maybe, but you can't be the one…" Buffy started. "Will wouldn't, doesn't, want you to." She reached out toward Faith, the brunette shrugging off her hand. "You know I'm right."

"Doesn't mean I care," Faith countered angrily. "I want to kill them, Buffy!" She pushed herself up, waving the blonde forward. "Come on," she prompted. "I owe you one. Hit me." Buffy just frowned at her, her arms crossing her chest. "I didn't protect her, I let her get hurt. Hit me one."

"I'm not going to hit you, Faith," Buffy denied. "What happened - it wasn't your fault." She sighed. "I think you need to get out for a while," she advised. "I'll stay here with Joy and Will. You just get some air, okay?" Faith nodded morosely and Buffy gave her a small smile. "We can fight when you get back if you still want to," she offered, drawing a weak smirk from her counterpart.

Faith was on the sidewalk, heading downtown before she realized what she intended to try. She'd always had a knack for finding herself in trouble, though she had never deliberately sought it out in quite this way before. It wasn't even a conscious decision, but she wanted payback. Whoever had hurt Willow would pay for it with blood.

The sun was still up, and the nest of vamps reacted the way they did to such things when Faith burst in. A few ran into the sun in a misguided escape attempt, the rest cornered in the dark by the angry Slayer. "Tell me what I want to know and I _might_ not kill you. Gang of assholes beat up a redheaded girl earlier."

"We didn't touch any redhead," one of the vampires growled.

"I didn't say you did. If you had, you'd already be dead," Faith said easily, shrugging and spinning her stake in her hand. "They're humans. Now spill. What do you know about another gang around here?"

There was a pause, one of them finally answering her. "Two blocks down. They hang out between that weird magic store and the hardware place."

"Great," Faith said, voice grim. "Enjoy the day, gentlemen."

* * *

Willow groaned as she woke up, reaching backwards to find cool sheets. She was much more sore than when she'd fallen asleep, her head throbbing as she sat up. "Faith?" There was no answer to her call, and she pushed the sheets back. Her shirt still smelled like the Slayer, and she found a pair of her partner's shorts in the drawer and pulled on a pair of tall socks to complete the outfit. She stumbled slowly into the bathroom to check her reflection, not wanting to frighten Joy with her appearance. There was a light black eye that was only visible if someone was looking for it, but the worst of the scratches were on her arms. Everything else could be covered by her sleeves and careful hairstyling. A few adjustments to her bangs, and she was ready to go.

Buffy was at the base of the stairs when she reached them, the Slayer surveying her sympathetically. "How you doing?"

"I'll be alright," Willow said, smiling weakly. "Where're Joy and Faith?"

"Joy's in the yard with Bones. Faith went out for some air about an hour ago," Buffy answered her.

Willow's eyes widened and she frowned. "You let Faith leave?"

"You know as well as I do that when Faith's in one of her moods, you don't _let_ her do anything, you just stay out of her way," Buffy reminded her. "You don't think she's gone to do something stupid, do you?"

"You know she doesn't have to look for trouble. It normally finds her pretty easily." Willow didn't have time to theorize further before the phone was ringing. "Faith?" she answered it on the second ring, sighing heavily as she was answered. "Where are you?"

"You're not going to like it," Faith said on the other end, shifting her weight and hearing the chains clink between her feet.

"No…what did you do?" Willow sank weakly into a seat at the table, seeing Buffy pacing.

"I didn't kill them. I knocked them around some, but then…" She sighed. "We're all being booked on assault - them for what they did to you, me for what I did to them. They confessed but if you press charges against them, they'll get more time, but with my record, I'm looking at thirty days, minimum…" Faith hesitated and Willow thought she could hear her swallow hard. "How pissed are you?"

"You don't want to ask me that right now," Willow answered hoarsely. "What do you need me to do?"

"Will…"

"Just tell me what you need for me to do right now," Willow interjected, voice carefully controlled.

Faith sighed. "If you could come down and make a statement, it'll help my case."

"Is that it?" Willow asked brusquely and Faith's eyes closed.

"Yeah, thanks," the Slayer said. "Will…"

"I'll be there soon," the witch cut her off, hanging up the phone.

Buffy took a moment to watch her, swallowing hard. "What happened?"

"She got arrested. Assaulting a gang is still assault to the police." Willow pushed herself back to her feet, swaying slightly until Buffy caught her elbows. "I've got to get to the station and put in a statement about what happened this morning, but they're going to keep Faith for at least a month…"

"Damn," Buffy muttered. "I'm sorry, Will. I should have just punched her like she asked."

Willow gave her a look and sighed. "It's not your fault, Buffy. Faith is going to do what she wants to do. None of us can stop her."

"Do you want me to go down there with you? We could bring Joy…"

Willow shook her head. "I don't want to take Joy to see her mom in jail."

"You're going to have to tell her something," Buffy reminded her gently. "And even if you're pissed, you won't keep Joy away from her for a month, will you?" She took a deep breath. "Faith screwed up, but not letting her see Joy would kill her."

"No, I wouldn't do that," Willow sighed. "I'm just annoyed, and I don't want Joy to see it."

"You guys don't fight much in front of her, do you?"

The witch shook her head. "Not really. So seeing us butt heads through cell bars is not something I want to deal with today. Maybe you could take her over there tonight or something?" she suggested wearily.

"Sure," Buffy agreed. "I'll stay here with her until you get back."

Willow thanked her and went back upstairs to change. She started to swap Faith's shirt for one of her own, but she paused. She was angry, but her partner's scent on her was still comforting and she left it. Faith was lucky that they'd only given her a month, but she didn't know if she could deal with her absence for that long. And there was Joy to think of. She groaned as that reality occurred to her. There was nothing for it, she'd have to get the Slayer out. Her laptop and some clever paperwork alterations helped, and she tucked the pages into the pocket of her jeans.

Buffy was in the yard when she got back to the kitchen. Joy was rushing to her as soon as she went through the screen door, Willow scooping her up carefully.

"Hey, baby," she greeted her daughter. "Having fun with Aunt Buffy?"

"Yes! But Mama said you got hurt!"

"I did, but I'm going to be okay." She gave the little girl a look. "You believe me?" Joy nodded, little hand touching her face gently. "That's my good girl. Now, can you stay here and play some more with your aunt? I've got to go get your mom. We'll be home in just a little bit, okay?"

"Okay Mommy," Joy answered obediently.

Buffy was frowning as Willow put her down, walking over to speak quietly to the witch. "How are you getting her out? I thought you said they were keeping her for a month."

"I've got a piece of paper from a local judge saying otherwise," Willow said, patting her pocket. She sighed. "I'm mad enough that I could be tempted to let her sit in there and stew, but Joy would be upset, I wouldn't be able to sleep, and she'd just be miserable." She shrugged. "And I didn't actually want to look it up and see if I'm right, but I have a feeling that having one of her parents arrested could make us not look great to the social workers who check on Joy."

Buffy grimaced. "Oh, yeah. That's no good." She nodded. "Go get her out then."

"We'll be back soon." Willow smiled tiredly. "Thanks for everything today, Buffy." The blonde nodded, patting her friend comfortingly on the shoulder.

There was a crowd in the jailhouse, a fact Willow was grateful for as she waited in line. In a small town like Sunnydale, getting an assault suspect out after only a few hours would be obvious. But Cincinnati was big. Faith's dismissal wouldn't be noticed.

She turned in her paperwork and an officer went to collect the Slayer while she made a statement about her attack. She knew she should have expected it, but seeing her attackers in the lineup sent a shock down her spine. They were all bruised and beaten, and she had to close her eyes as she remembered that her partner's hands had done the damage.

Faith was free by the time she finished, the brunette coming up to her but lingering at a short distance, not sure how Willow would react. "Thanks," she said hoarsely. "Will…"

"Let's go home," Willow said, her eyes clearly showing that it wasn't over, just on hold temporarily.

They walked to their Jeep in silence, Willow sliding into the passenger seat. It had been a long day and she didn't feel like driving home. Faith kept giving her sidelong glances as they drove, and Willow's eyebrows rose as the Slayer pulled over suddenly, a few miles yet to go before they were home. "Yell at me," Faith requested. "I know you're mad. Yell at me, please."

"I'm not going to yell," Willow said, and her voice was quiet.

"But you're mad."

"I am," she agreed. "But I know you, and I should have known that you weren't going to listen when I said that doing that - going after them - would be a bad idea." She wasn't looking at the Slayer, her eyes locked down at her lap.

"If you're mad why'd you get me out?" Faith wondered, fingers playing with a hole in her jeans.

"I didn't want to have to explain you getting arrested to Joy's adoption social worker," Willow answered sternly, giving her a sharp look. "And I didn't want Joy to only get to see you once a day for the next month." Faith's expression fell further and Willow had to squeeze her fist in her lap to keep from reaching out to her.

"Will… I didn't think," Faith started.

"I think that's pretty obvious," Willow shot back.

The Slayer slumped, sighing. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm an idiot. I just react to things. It doesn't make it right, in fact it gets me in trouble more than anything else, but it's how I am. And hurting you or Joy… it's the one thing I can't take, Will." She grimaced down at her bloody knuckles. "I'm sorry."

It was obviously genuine, the Slayer's remorse plain on her face and in her voice. Willow reached over and picked up her hands. The jail had given Faith rudimentary medical supplies to clean herself up, but her hands still looked bad. "Let's go home. I need to clean these up," Willow said. "Try and keep your hands in your pockets until I can wrap them. Joy doesn't know…"

Faith nodded, dark eyes watching Willow's fingers on her skin. "Will…really…"

"We can talk more later," Willow interjected, looking up at her and smiling wanly, her exhaustion obvious.

The Slayer sighed, nodding as she retracted her hands and got them back on the road. Joy was still playing outside, not knowing enough about what had been going on that day to have been worried about Faith, and she reacted excitedly when Buffy suggested a sleepover at her house. Willow agreed, and Joy ran off to pack.

Buffy didn't speak until Willow left to collect the first-aid kit, leaning next to Faith at the kitchen counter. "You're damn lucky she got you out of jail," the blonde said. Faith blinked dark eyes at her counterpart, not arguing. "I know hurting those guys felt good after what they did, but do you think this morning hurt her more than this afternoon? Willow feels with the people she loves, Faith. And losing them breaks her. She lost Oz to the wolf, lost Tara to a psycho, losing you to your own dark side might kill her…"

They both heard Joy returning, her bag bouncing on the stairs behind her. "Bye Mama, bye Mommy!" she called, running out the door and leaving Buffy to follow her, Bones chasing the little girl happily.

Buffy pushed herself up from the counter, punching Faith hard in the jaw with no warning. "I always meant it when I said that if you hurt her, I'd hurt you," Buffy stated. "That was for this afternoon."

Faith nodded as the blonde left, working her jaw in a slow circle with one hand. It wasn't broken, but her lip was bleeding and she turned to spit out a mouthful in the sink. She leaned against the counter and let her eyes close. She wasn't angry about the punch, in fact, she felt she deserved worse for putting Willow through what she had that day.

Faith's eyes were closed, but she felt Willow's return, the witch lifting her hands to clean them. She didn't say anything about the red spot on the brunette's jaw, just focused on her hands. The peroxide stung, but Faith didn't grimace or wince. Whatever pain came next, she deserved. Willow's hands were gentle and soft. Years of bandaging up after Buffy and Faith had given her a light touch. Faith still didn't open her eyes as Willow finished with the wrapping, letting the witch pull her to the couch.

Willow had settled on the opposite side of the couch when she looked up finally, neither one speaking for a long moment. "I just have one question," Willow said, voice low and sad.

Faith sat up, both hands rubbing over the tops of her thighs. "Okay, shoot," she offered, swallowing hard.

"Did you stop, or did they stop you?"

It took her a moment to figure out the meaning behind the question, but she turned to face her partner squarely. "I stopped. I wasn't going to kill them. I wanted to," she admitted. "And part of me maybe still does. But it's not worth it."

"Why not?"

The Slayer didn't blink, meeting her eyes solidly. "Because being a murderer isn't who I am anymore. That first time, in the alley, I didn't care. He was a person and I killed him. It was an accident, but it didn't mean anything to me for a long time. I killed more people too. Never felt a thing. It's not like that for me anymore. Killing someone kills something inside you. And whatever that is that I have left, you love it. I lose it and I lose you. And nothing is worth losing you, Will."

Willow felt relief rush through her, sharp and powerful. "Thank you, Faith." Lightheaded suddenly, she didn't speak, just leaned back into her seat silently. Faith just watched her, feeling overwhelmed. They looked at each other, but it was never in the same moment, always fleeting glances. They weren't back to good, not yet, but they weren't going to break either. Finally, Willow stretched, grimacing at the pull of sore muscles. "I think I should get to bed."

The Slayer nodded, frown on her face at the singular pronoun. She knew that her lover was still mad, and sleeping on the couch really was a milder reaction than she'd been expecting. "Okay. I'll be here." She stood up as Willow did, though she didn't move from her spot.

The redhead was at the base of the stairs before she turned, Faith still standing. Dark eyes watched as the witch walked back to her slowly until she was standing directly in front of the Slayer. Willow kissed her slowly, Faith returning it after a moment. Her hands slid into red hair, but she was careful not to make any moves to increase contact or deepen the kiss, not sure how such moves would be taken after the day they'd had.

"I'm glad you're home," Willow murmured as they separated, the witch licking her lips before she went back to the stairs, not turning this time.

Faith slumped down onto the couch as Willow disappeared, relieved that she hadn't been kicked out of the house as well as their bed. The redhead was mad, but she knew that Willow was entitled to it. She couldn't say she wouldn't react the same way if Willow had deliberately danced with her dark side the way she had. A few nights on the couch was no less than she deserved.

Willow had organized their living room as logically as any other room in the house, and she was easily able to find a blanket and pillows, arranging them at one end of the sofa for her to sleep on. Boots were kicked off and left beside the couch, jeans hung over the back of a chair before she slid into her makeshift bed. It was miserable alone, but she didn't sigh or moan.

Sleep wouldn't come easily, but she could easily hear Willow echoing her tossing and turning overhead. A little before twelve-thirty saw the witch giving up the struggle, her step audible on the stairs. Faith kept her eyes closed until Willow was right in front of the couch, lifting the blanket without a word and sliding back to give Willow room to join her. Their eyes met, but neither spoke, Willow just curling into her and letting Faith's arms keep her close.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mama, how come I don't have any brothers or sisters?" The simple question was enough to make Willow and Faith choke simultaneously, their daughter's eyes widening comically at her parents' reaction.

Faith managed to clear her throat first and she reached over to slap her partner on the back helpfully. "What made you think about that, baby?" she asked breathlessly, brown eyes wide and frantic. She realized what word she'd used, the familiar pet name that she only ever used on their little girl, and she started coughing hard as Willow offered her a glass of juice while she tried to settle her own breathing.

Joy shrugged, giving her parents both concerned looks. "Just curious," she said slowly. "You didn't want more kids?"

Willow swallowed hard, exchanging looks with Faith before she answered. "You know it stays so busy around here, and we never really talked about having more kids…"

"When you get such a great one on the first go," Faith offered, giving a grin that looked strained.

Joy rolled her eyes at her mother, poking at her breakfast. "Thanks, Mama, but those reasons don't sound real."

Willow met Faith's eyes, both of them at a loss for what to say. "Do you want a brother or sister?" Willow asked tentatively.

Joy shrugged again. "I don't know. I mean, I know how you found me, and…"

"We…" Willow started to interject. Joy didn't remember any of it, but they'd been honest with her about her origins as soon as she was old enough to ask and understand, never lied to her, but reiterated that they were her parents and loved her no matter how she'd come into their lives.

"I know, Mommy," Joy said quickly, letting Willow take her free hand on the table. "And I know you don't just find kids and bring them home every day."

"You stole your Mama's heart," Willow said, giving Faith a smile across the table as the Slayer's hand touched her leg out of sight. "That doesn't happen every day." Faith shook her head silently, though her eyes were still panicky.

"But I know you're a mega-witch," Joy continued, eyes on her parents. "If you wanted to have your own kid, I know you could…"

"You are our kid," Faith chimed in at that.

"I didn't mean it like that, Mama," Joy reassured her. "You could have _more_ kids. Kids that look like you," she said, her voice teasing. Despite their lack of blood relation, Joy bore a startling resemblance to her brunette parent.

Faith smirked, Joy ducking her mother's swatting hand. Then the Slayer's eyes settled on her partner and she cleared her throat. "You really could do that?" she asked curiously. "More kids?"

"What?" Willow yelped helplessly, surprised by the inquiry. "I mean, I could, but Faith…" She paused as Joy laughed. "What brought this up, again?" she asked, pinning her gaze on her daughter.

"Aunt Buffy and Uncle Xander were joking about you two not wanting kids back in the day," Joy confessed, smirking at her parents. "So I wondered if that's why you never had any more."

Willow met Faith's eyes, neither speaking. It was true that they'd never anticipated having children, had even laughed about it, but neither of them regretted changing their minds when they'd met Joy, the silent child stealing their hearts before she'd ever spoken a word to them. "Will?" Faith asked hesitantly, not sure what she wanted as an answer.

"Whoa, no! I'm not making this decision!" Willow protested. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, looking at Faith directly.

"I don't know," the Slayer answered, shrugging. "Kids is a big deal," she hedged.

"Which is probably why we didn't talk about it until Joy dropped into our laps," Willow conceded, eyes shooting across to their daughter, the eight year old watching with a wide grin on her face. "We were never big on the responsible side of things," she reminded her girlfriend with a laugh.

"Getting married," Joy coughed, patting her chest unconvincingly when Faith sent her a narrow look. She knew perfectly well why her parents weren't married, but knew just as well how much they loved each other.

Faith looked back at Willow, the redhead rolling her eyes patiently. "Keep it up and see if you get a sibling," the witch teased back, sticking her tongue out.

"Real mature, Mom," Joy replied even as she poked her tongue between her lips.

Faith sighed impatiently, drawing Willow's attention back to her with a squeeze of her knee. "Do you want to have another kid? Be pregnant?" They both knew without discussion that Faith wouldn't be the one to carry a baby, the Slayer's role too dangerous and unpredictable to even think of it. "And, hypothetically, how would this happen, anyway?"

Joy shot up from her seat. "I'm too little to know this!" she declared, clapping both hands over her ears and bolting for the back door. "Bones!" she yelled, the old dog rising from his spot at the base of the stairs to slowly follow her outside.

Willow and Faith were left staring at each other at the kitchen table, neither speaking. The witch broke the gaze first, standing up and starting to clear away the breakfast dishes. She ignored the fact that neither she nor Faith had touched theirs since Joy had asked her question.

Faith watched her from the table, swallowing hard as she tried to imagine it - a little kid that looked like some combination of them, Willow's brains and her own stubborn guts paired with her eyes and the redhead's dimples and freckles. She didn't even notice when the grin broke out on her face. "Oh shit," she muttered under her breath as she recognized the goofy expression on her face.

Willow was distracting herself with dishes and she sucked in a surprised breath as Faith's arms curled around her suddenly. "Seriously?" she asked, unable to help smiling herself. "You want a baby?"

Faith shrugged against her back, chin on her lover's shoulder. "What do you want?"

Willow sighed, glancing down at Faith's hand moving over her stomach, tried to imagine her body swollen with a child. It was easier to picture than she'd expected and she shivered as she was overwhelmed with a sudden longing. "Oh shit," she echoed her girlfriend's assessment, taking a deep breath.

"It's not crazy, is it?" Faith asked. "It feels less crazy than it used to."

Willow grinned, leaning back against her. "We have been parents for a few years now," she pointed out with a laugh. "Are we seriously considering this? Or is this some kind of reactionary thing because our daughter challenged us to have another kid?"

Faith thought it over before she spoke but she couldn't shake the image of the child with her eyes and Willow's features. "It could be fun," she admitted, voice low.

Willow leaned her head back against the Slayer's shoulder, looking up at her. "You've obviously never taken care of a newborn before. No sleep, lots of crying, big mess…"

"We deal with all of that in our day jobs anyway," Faith joked, holding her breath. "Will, I think I want another kid. I think I want a baby."

Willow didn't speak immediately, turning in Faith's arms to meet her eyes. She scanned her partner's face, searching for something she wasn't even sure about. There was uncertainty in the Slayer's gaze, but not doubt, and the love that she knew only she and Joy ever saw in Faith's eyes. Willow had a sudden flash of the expression on Faith's face when she watched Joy sleep as a small child and it took her breath away. "Okay," she breathed softly. "Want to try for kid number two?"

Faith's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Wait, it's not going to hurt you or anything, is it?"

Willow leaned back against the Slayer's hands on her back, a smile on her mouth. "I've heard labor is rough, yeah…" She knew that wasn't what Faith meant, but she hoped the joke would help her girlfriend relax. "No, sweetie. It's not going to hurt me, or do anything drastic to you either," she assured her, giggling at the relief that swept over Faith's expression. "It's actually surprisingly simple."

"Well, what do I have to do?" Faith questioned.

Willow thought for a moment, the spell she'd need already floating through her mind. "Um, nothing different, really," she answered, looping both arms around the Slayer's neck.

"It's not like some deal where you're just pregnant all of a sudden, is it?" Faith asked, brow furrowing. "Like tomorrow?"

The witch shook her head. "No. I can give you all the dirty details if you want them, but I really don't think you do," she advised. "But I'll do the spell and afterward we'll be able to get pregnant the same way anyone else does."

Faith blinked, eyes wide. "So I'll basically be knocking you up," she realized. "And how does this not do anything to me? Because I don't really figure on being your boyfriend all of a sudden."

Willow rolled her eyes, head shaking from side to side. "It's not like that," she said quickly. "Believe me, I have no desire to have you be my boyfriend either! Just trust me that you don't want to know the details here." Faith looked doubtful and Willow chewed on her lip. "Trust me," she repeated.

"You're _sure _there's not going to be anything weird…"

"We, two women, are talking about having a baby without any kind of man involvement," Willow reminded her.

"So I should just go with the weird?" Faith realized.

"Unless you want to ask Xander for some…"

"No!" Faith cut her off loudly. "Don't even say that!" She shuddered, sticking her tongue out in obvious disgust.

Willow laughed, amused. "Of the two of us, you're the one who slept with him," she teased. "I just kissed him a few times."

"Stop it!" Faith said, letting her go to cover her ears with her hands. "No guy or his _stuff_ is touching you."

Willow was giggling, her shoulders trembling with her mirth, and she whooped loudly as Faith suddenly planted her shoulder in the witch's stomach and stood up, leaving the redhead laughing over her shoulder while the Slayer's arms held the back of her knees.

"You're so weird," Joy chimed in suddenly as she appeared in the doorway, staring at her parents.

Willow peeked around Faith's leg and grinned at their daughter. "Everybody's parents are weird," she agreed dryly.

"Doubt it," Joy responded. "I'm just lucky."

"You really are," Faith said with a wink, not appearing to notice that she still had Willow slung over her shoulder.

"Why do you have Mom up like that?" Joy asked pointedly. "Or is this another thing I'm _way_ too young to know about?"

Willow giggled again. "Mama's feeling kind of territorial today."

Joy just gave them a blank look and shook her head. "I don't know what that means." Faith slapped her free hand to Willow's butt and the girl threw both hands into the air. "And now I wish I didn't! I'm going to Aunt Buffy's house!"

"Look both ways before you cross the street! And dinner's at seven," Willow called, unable to stop herself from laughing. "Buffy and Xander are welcome to come!"

The screen door slapped into place behind her as Joy beat a retreat, Faith starting to laugh herself. "Too much?" she asked cheerfully as she shifted them two steps to the right so she could watch Joy cross the road through the kitchen window.

"Put me down, you cavewoman," Willow requested, catching her breath as her girlfriend set her back on her feet. Their eyes met and they both started laughing again, breathless with some new feeling. Neither one wanted to put a name to it, but it felt good and Faith curled an arm around Willow's waist and pulled her closer.

Willow could feel the same need to be closer to her lover, both hands coming to rest on the Slayer's chest. "Hey," she breathed into the quiet as they calmed down. "Are we really doing this?"

Faith nodded, looking surprisingly confident. "Yeah. Just…one thing?" Willow cocked a questioning eyebrow, nodding. "Could we keep it quiet, you know, that we're trying? At least till we know something…"

"Of course," Willow agreed immediately. "We don't have to tell anyone anything…" She cocked her head and let her body lean into Faith's knowing that the Slayer wouldn't let her slip. "Will you do one thing for me?"

Faith's head bobbed up and down easily. "Name it," she requested.

"Kiss me."

The Slayer's eyebrows lifted in surprise, not expecting the simple request. "I think I can do better than that," she said, curling her arms tighter around the witch's thin waist and leaning back to lift her off her feet. She kissed her as they moved, Willow smiling against her lips as her lover carried her toward the stairs.

* * *

Faith always woke up if Willow got out of bed. Willow could toss and turn all she wanted and the Slayer wouldn't stir, but as soon as her weight shifted off the bed, Faith was awake and alert. So when the witch bolted from their bed to throw up, Faith was quick on her heels. "Will, babe, what's wrong?" she questioned even as she held her lover's hair back.

Willow continued to heave even after her dinner was gone, Faith rubbing her hand gently across the witch's back. Finally, she regained control of her stomach and slumped back on the floor, breathing hard and lightly sweating. "Water?" she croaked weakly, grateful when Faith crouched down with the cup.

"You okay?" Faith questioned anxiously. "Will…"

The witch shrugged, gulping down her water. "It's either food poisoning, or…"

It took Faith a moment to realize what Willow wasn't saying, and the Slayer sank to the floor beside her. "Whoa…" She looked a little like she was going to be sick herself, and Willow curled her legs up in case her girlfriend needed to lean over her to the toilet. "Is it… could it have happened so quick?" she asked, glancing sideways at the side of Willow's head. "I mean, it's only been a month."

Willow tried to think, work out the timing, but her head was pounding and she couldn't make her brain work. "I can't…I don't know." She was watching her hands in her lap, fingers playing with the short hem of the shorts she slept in. "If it is, you know…are you freaked?" she asked hesitantly, not looking over at her girlfriend.

Faith swallowed hard as she sensed her partner's need for reassurance. "Honestly, yeah," she breathed without thinking. Willow flinched beside her and the Slayer was quick to nudge her with an elbow, drawing her eyes. "But not because I don't want it, Will. I want this kid. Don't ever doubt that, okay?" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Anyone who thinks they're having a kid and says it doesn't freak the hell out of them is a liar, though," she declared hoarsely.

Willow smiled, relieved, and let herself slump against the Slayer's shoulder. She curled her arm through Faith's, rolling her girlfriend's fingers between her own. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

"I'm thinking that if you're already pregnant that I'm _damn_ good," Faith said, grinning when Willow swatted her arm. "I'm thinking that you're amazing," she said earnestly.

"And if it's not…if it's just food poisoning, or just me getting sick…" Willow reminded her.

Faith shrugged gently, her shoulder moving beneath the red head. "You're still amazing," she declared, voice soft. "And if you're sick, we'll get down on this floor every night until you're feeling better."

Willow giggled softly, tracing the lines in Faith's palm. The Slayer's hands were rough, but it wasn't something she noticed normally. In spite of the calluses, Faith's touch could be outstandingly soothing and gentle. Of course, they were also capable of great force and violence, but that was the side that Willow saw less. At the top of her mind whenever she thought of her partner's hands were always memories of pleasure and comfort rather than the pain she knew rationally that they inflicted more often. She tried to imagine Faith holding a baby, the anxiety she knew the Slayer would feel. She knew there would be nowhere safer in the world for a child than those hands, though.

"And if it's a baby?"

Faith sighed, leaning her head against the top of Willow's head. "And if it's a baby, then that's awesome," she whispered. "But if it hasn't happened yet, then we'll just keep trying like we have been."

Willow grinned, squeezing the fingers in her grip before she dragged the hand up to kiss the fingertips. "I'd be okay with that," she admitted, hoping that she wasn't hurting the Slayer's feelings if she admitted that not being pregnant yet wouldn't upset her personally.

Faith nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "It's been fun, right?"

Willow laughed until it made her gag, leaning to heave over the toilet quickly as Faith released her. The Slayer had water waiting for her as she leaned back, Faith pulling Willow back into her arms and brushing sweaty hair back from her face. "It's always fun," Willow said, voice hoarse but soft.

"What?" Faith wondered, confused by the statement.

Willow slumped back against her partner. "You and me, making a baby. It's always fun," she clarified.

"Oh. Good to know," Faith said, unable to help a proud grin crossing her face. "How are you doing, babe? Still going to be sick?"

"I think it's passed," Willow admitted. "Just let me brush my teeth and we can go back to bed…"

She started to push herself to her feet, but Faith's arms held her firm, the Slayer scooping her up easily. "I've got you, Will," Faith said, chuckling as she stood up with the witch safely in her arms. She set the witch gingerly on her feet, lingering at her side while Willow brushed her teeth and slipping her arms beneath her knees once she was finished, lifting her back into her grasp.

"I can walk," Willow protested softly even as her head snuggled into Faith's shoulder. The Slayer was slow and careful, watching her girlfriend cautiously as she put her down in their bed, but the witch seemed settled, relaxing into the sheets.

"Sorry you're awake," Willow apologized. "I know you were out late."

"I can't sleep once you get out of bed," Faith reminded her.

Willow smiled tiredly, fingers trailing over Faith's wrist. "It's really uncanny how you do that, actually."

Faith grinned, kissing Willow on the forehead as she slid back into bed. She hesitated before she reached for the redhead though, afraid that their normal sleep position of big spoon and little spoon would upset the witch's sensitive stomach. "Are you going to be able to go back to sleep?" she asked instead, curling one arm behind her head.

"Not unless you get your arm around me," Willow said around a yawn, voice slow.

Faith conceded, curling up into Willow's back and slipping her arm across the redhead's waist. On the rare nights that Faith was asleep before Willow came to bed she fell asleep on her side, lower arm outstretched across the bed to guide Willow into her. Nights Willow was in bed first, she would face Faith's side of the bed and sleep restlessly until the Slayer joined her and coaxed her into her arms. But any night they came to bed together, regardless of what took place between going to bed and going to sleep, the position they drifted off in didn't change - Faith as the big spoon. The sides of the bed never wavered, Faith sleeping nearer the door to keep herself between Willow and any potential danger, even in their sleep.

By the next day they had determined that it wasn't morning sickness that had driven Willow from bed, but an outbreak of food poisoning from some bad eggs sold at the local supermarket. They threw the rest of the carton away, both taking an unconscious sigh of relief. They'd decided to have a baby, but neither one of them wanted to admit that having it happen so quickly would have freaked them out.

Buffy let herself in as their eyes met, both of them able to see the relief in their partner's face. "Hey!" the blonde said, chipper. "Good morning." She helped herself to a spoonful of Willow's cereal, giving them both a scrutinizing look. "Everything okay?" she asked, her tone concerned.

"Will's a bit sick, or something," Faith said, resting her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Food poisoning?" Buffy guessed knowingly. Willow and Faith exchanged looks and the blonde frowned. "What? It pretty much has to be, right? It's like an epidemic. I saw it on the news." The couple swapped glances again, and Buffy shrugged. "It's not like it could be morning sickness or anything," she pointed out jokingly, her head turning just in time to miss her friends' looks of wide-eyed panic.

"Right," Willow croaked. "It was the eggs."

"Mom's sick?" Joy questioned as she joined them, giving her aunt an absent-minded high five in greeting.

Willow shook her head, clearing her throat. "I'm okay. I was just a little sickly last night."

"Well, Joy, you're welcome to hang out with me today if you guys want to do barfy couple stuff to make Will feel better," Buffy offered with a wink toward her best friend.

"What a sweet offer," Willow commented dryly, rolling her eyes. "But I'm feeling better, mostly."

Faith hesitated, shrugging. "Maybe you should stay home today," she suggested. Her girlfriend shot her a look and she lifted both hands quickly. "You're just a little pale is all. And they said on the news that it's a pretty nasty bug…"

Willow gaped at her, confused. "And what are you going to be doing today since I'm so sick?" she asked pointedly, lifting an eyebrow at her Slayer.

"We were going to knock out a vamp nest," Faith said slowly, getting a nod from Buffy.

"Not with our daughter, you're not!" Willow disagreed flatly.

"Oh yeah," Faith realized, shrugging. "Joy, what do you want to do?"

"I want to kill vampires!" the little girl announced hopefully, slumping as both of her parents shook their heads. "Then can I practice with Aunt Buffy? I won't go near any vampires!"

Buffy gave them a reassuring nod. "We won't go near any vamps," she promised. "Faith, we can knock out the nest some other day."

"I'm really not feeling bad enough for so much consideration," Willow insisted. Joy sent her a frustrated look, though, and she shrugged. "But of course you're still free to spend the day with your aunt," she reassured her daughter. She touched her girlfriend's arm to draw her eyes. "And you're welcome to go kill a vamp nest. I know those are your favorites. Just don't take Joy."

Faith gave her an unconvinced glance and Willow kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Will…"

"Trust me," Willow said, curling her arm through Faith's. "I'm sure I'll be asleep on the couch soon enough. And I don't want either of my girls to be bored waiting on me."

"Thanks Mom," Joy said with a grin, jumping on the opening.

Faith shook her head, though. "Babe…"

"Joy, I never thought I'd see this day," Buffy said cheerfully, slinging an arm around her niece. Faith and Willow sent her simultaneous looks and the blonde smirked at her counterpart. "Faith Lehane, former bad-ass Slayer, now whipped girlfriend."

Willow rolled her eyes, but glanced up at her partner's clenched jaw and patted her shoulder gently. "Now you have to go," she said, standing on her toes to kiss Faith's cheek. "You girls have fun." She pointed firmly at Buffy and Joy. "But no vampires!"

"Promise," the pair said in unison. "And I hope you feel better," Buffy added, giving her friend a smile and getting a sarcastic eye roll in return. "Ready to go?" she asked, turning her gaze to her niece.

The little girl's head bobbed and she looked across the kitchen at her parents. "Mama, you coming?"

Faith didn't speak, throat bobbing as she swallowed. "Not this time," she answered finally, meeting Buffy's eyes. "I'm going to stay home and look after Mom today."

Joy looked up at her aunt, Buffy winking down at her and sending the little girl bolting across the room to hug Faith. "I thought you two were past giving each other a hard time over me," Willow commented quietly, pulling herself into a chair at the table.

"I _was_ giving her a hard time," Buffy admitted. "But I'm actually proud of her." She grinned as she watched Faith and Joy together. "She's come a long way if she won't let me bully her into going out to train."

Willow swatted her friend's wrist, sighing. "I'm really okay. She can go."

Buffy shrugged, her grin turning on her best friend. "She wants to take care of you. Let her do it."

"I do. You're the one picking on her about it," the witch countered. "I'd ask you to apologize, but I know that's not going to happen."

"Some things change, but some never will," Buffy agreed.

"I'll take what I can get, then," Willow said, smiling unconsciously as she watched her family interact.

Buffy laughed, hugging Willow's shoulders with one arm. "Me and Faith as a pair might never change, but she has. You've got her."

"That's what I meant," Willow confirmed, breaking into a grin as Faith spotted her watching from across the room. "Be careful." She said it every time Buffy or Faith went out, and twice when Joy was with them.

"Got it," Buffy agreed, already smiling as she waited for the repetition.

"Be very careful," Willow said clearly, looking up at her friend.

"We always are," Buffy promised, leaning over impulsively to kiss the top of Willow's head. "Now you just relax and let Faith take care of you and I'll take care of Joy. Oh, and how about this - if you're up for it we'll pick up some stuff for dinner so you don't have to worry about it."

"Sounds good, Buff," Willow agreed with a yawn. "Thanks."

"Okay," Faith announced as she appeared at Willow's other side. "Mom's tired. You guys go on," she instructed, waving them out. Buffy followed Joy out, smirking but she refrained from saying anything. "Let's get you lying down," Faith said, leaning down to slip one arm under her lover's legs while the other curled around her shoulders.

"Ooh, I like when you say that," Willow said, flirting.

Faith blinked as she lifted her girlfriend easily and carried her toward the couch. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern.

"Are _you_ okay?" Willow countered, petulant now. "That was pretty okay flirting for a sick person and you didn't give me anything!"

"Babe, I think you're not as good as you say you are," Faith said as she carefully deposited the witch on the sofa. She realized what she'd said just as Willow shoved her hard. It didn't upset her balance, but she caught her girlfriend's swatting hands before the witch tried again and pitched herself off the couch. "I mean you're sick!" she protested, holding both freckled wrists in one hand as she reached up to check Willow's forehead. The redhead squirmed away from her, pouting, and Faith grumbled under her breath. "You need to sit still, hon."

"You said…!"

Faith cut her off with a kiss, capturing her lips firmly, and Willow's eyes were wide when the Slayer let her go. "I did not mean that you're not good," she breathed. "I meant…" Her hand caught the distracted witch's forehead. "You have a fever, Will." She could only stare as tears welled up in her partner's green eyes. "And you're maybe a little mood-swingy," Faith suggested hesitantly.

"What? No, I'm not!" Willow denied even as tears broke and rolled down her cheeks. "And if I'm so sick, why'd you kiss me?" she demanded.

"That's what I'm saying," Faith said, huffing in frustration. "I don't know if you _are_ sick." She licked her lips, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't think I can catch what you have."

The alternative to food poisoning managed to sink through Willow's overwrought mind and she sniffled, squirming one of her hands free to test her own fever. "You don't think I'm sick?" she questioned, tears in her eyes again as she met Faith's gaze. The Slayer was on her knees next to the couch and she settled her weight back on her heels without speaking. Then her hand released Willow's wrists to palm her stomach, fingers sliding underneath the witch's t-shirt without hesitation.

Willow's breath hissed between her teeth at the contact, eyes closing helplessly as Faith's fingers moved slowly over her overly warm skin. Her own hand found the edge of her shirt and pulled it up, appreciating the cool air as well as Faith's light caress. Her fingers grazed to find her lover's wrist, but she didn't remove her hand, just let the Slayer's touch wander where it would, able to feel Faith's pulse pounding away in her wrist.

"I saw your face earlier, when we heard about the food poisoning on the news," Willow broke the silence, her eyes not opening. "You were relieved." It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

"So were you," Faith pointed out, voice hoarse. Willow could hear her move closer to the couch, felt the heat of her body as Faith leaned over her. "We're allowed to be freaked out by this," she whispered. "Aren't we? I mean, that doesn't make us bad parents, does it?"

Willow could hear the edge of panic in her lover's voice, and she smiled, still without opening her eyes. "I think Joy proves pretty definitely that we're not bad parents," she stated, voice soft and affectionate.

"This is a different kid! It's a whole new opportunity to screw it up!" Faith protested. "And, God, this kid is going to have my genes! We're in so much trouble here! How could we think this was a good idea!" she demanded. "How did you let me talk you into this? You're supposed to be the smart one! Why'd you let me do this to you?"

Willow reached up blindly with her free hand, trailing her touch soothingly over the side of the Slayer's neck and tracing lines over her brows and nose. "Shh," she breathed, hoping to calm her down. "You're panicking, sweetie. Everything is going to be fine." Finding the back of her girlfriend's neck, she pulled her down for a soft kiss. "Let's talk this out, okay? Our kids, Joy and any other ones we might have, are _so _lucky to have you for a mother, Faith. And I for one can't wait to see a little version of you running around here," Willow said, soft smile becoming a grin.

"Oh God," Faith moaned, thinking of herself as a child. "We're so screwed!"

"Hush! That's my baby you're talking about," Willow chided her, shaking her head while she slipped her fingers to cover her girlfriend's lips. "This was a great idea, and I agreed to it because I love you and want to have another baby with you," she continued addressing Faith's panicked points. "What was next?" she asked, trying to think. "Was that it?"

Faith took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Thanks," she breathed finally, picking Willow's hand off her mouth. "I appreciate you talking me down, but it would be more believable if you'd actually looked at me once this whole time," she complained, muttering the last bit.

"I thought I was the mood-swingy one," Willow said, eyes still closed.

"Why won't you look at me?" Faith asked, ignoring her lover's teasing. "Still nauseous?" Willow's head rocked from side to side in a negative. "Well, then what is it?"

The witch's eyelids fluttered and she smiled as she met the worried chocolate eyes above her. "It feels good," she said vaguely, tightening her fingers briefly around the Slayer's wrist to give her a clue. Faith only realized then that her hand was still tracing invisible patterns on Willow's flat stomach. "Tickles a little," the witch continued, her voice growing slow and drowsy.

Faith shifted her weight so that she could lean over the redhead's tummy, her hand swirling around Willow's bellybutton. It got her the giggle she knew it would, Willow's knee twitching against the back of the couch. Faith leaned over to press her forehead against Willow's abdomen, kissing the skin lightly before she turned her head to put her ear down.

"What are you…?" Willow asked in surprise, giggling even as her hand rose to comb through Faith's hair.

"Shh, I'm trying to listen," Faith whispered.

Willow laughed harder. "You can't hear a baby, hon!"

"You don't know I can't!" Faith denied. "I have superpowers, remember?"

"You do have many skills and talents, my love, but no one can hear a baby inside a pregnant woman," Willow insisted, voice soft as she played with Faith's hair absently. "And it might just be food poisoning," she reminded her gently. "Which kind of makes what you're doing a little gross."

Faith was quiet and Willow sucked in a breath as the Slayer's fingers trailed over her ribs. "I hope it's not just food poisoning." Faith's confession was quiet, but Willow heard it clearly. And in spite of having one ear pressed firmly against flesh, Faith heard the redhead's agreement easily.

* * *

Bam! Plot! What?


	10. Chapter 10

Buffy was yawning as she came through the kitchen door of Willow and Faith's house, one hand pushing at her hair. "Why'd I have to be here so _early_?" she whined as she helped herself to some candy from the bowl on the counter. "And what's with all the secrecy?"

No one answered her and her sharp ears detected motion over her head. "Will? Faith?" she called as she started up the stairs. "Joy-rider! Where is everybody? Call me to come over at six in the morning and there's no one here," she grumbled under her breath.

"We're here," Joy yelped, running to greet her. "Come on," she said with a dazzling grin, grabbing her aunt's hand and jerking her toward her parents' bedroom.

"Hold up, kiddo! We need to be careful going in here, remember?" Buffy protested.

Joy huffed impatiently. "Come on! Mom wants to show you something!"

"I'm _really _not sure I can see anything in here," the blonde insisted, covering her eyes cautiously with her free hand. "We want Aunt Buffy to keep her sense of sight, don't we?"

"It's okay, B," Faith's voice informed her, amused. "Everything's covered. Will's in the bathroom."

Buffy dropped her hand slowly, peeking around carefully. "What's up?" she asked curiously. "It's a little early for you, isn't it?"

Faith sighed, obviously agreeing, but not saying it aloud. "Will had a rough night," she said, arms crossed over her chest. "I've been up with her."

"Rough? What's wrong?" Buffy demanded, a frown dropping onto her face. "It seems like she's been sick for a while. Has she been to the hospital yet?" Faith nodded, chewing on her bottom lip as she glanced repeatedly at the bathroom door. They all heard the water run, and Buffy knocked on the bathroom door. "Will, I'm here. Are you okay?" she called through the closed door.

Willow opened the door slowly, greeting her family's eyes just as they all heard Xander's steps on the stairs. "Hey guys, what's…whoa," he trailed off as he noticed Willow in the bathroom doorway. "Will…"

Buffy's jaw was hanging and Faith exchanged glances with her girlfriend. "Um…so, we've got an announcement to make," she said, biting the bullet. Willow was barely showing, but it was obviously enough.

"What - how did this happen?" Buffy asked breathlessly.

Faith shook her head, her arms relaxing as Willow stepped up to her side, the witch trailing her fingers softly down her partner's arm and giving her a reassuring smile. "You don't want to know," the Slayer said, smirking. "Trust me."

Willow giggled, moving forward and opening her arms to her friends. "Can we get a hug from Aunt Buffy?" she asked, losing her breath as she was swept off her feet. "Oof, Buffy, not so hard! I was just throwing up," she cautioned her friend. The blonde dropped her swiftly, steadying her friend.

"Sorry about that. Accident," Buffy promised quickly, feeling Faith's glare without seeing it. "Will, tell her you're alright!"

"I'm fine, babe," Willow assured her with a laugh, feeling Faith's protective presence at her back. "You know Buffy would never hurt me." Xander had moved forward a few steps under Joy's persistent attention, but he moved quicker when Willow's eyes fell on him. "What do you think, Xand?"

"Wha-I'm still a little stunned, here," Xander said slowly. "You never told us you wanted another kid. That you were doing this…"

Willow walked to him, slipping her arms around his waist and leaning into his chest. "We're telling you now," she said softly. "Uncle Xander," she coaxed him, smiling helplessly when Joy echoed the call.

"It's good, right?" the little girl asked him, tugging on his hand. "My brother or sister." She gave him a hopeful smile. "We can teach them to play with us."

Willow tilted her head back to look up into his face, winking as he gave her a stunned smile. "You're pregnant? Really?" he asked. His eyes shot to his best friend's partner. "It's Faith's?"

Willow rolled her eyes and Buffy knowingly stepped into her fellow Slayer's path. "What are you trying to say?" Faith growled as Buffy shoved her back.

"Of course it's Faith's," Willow said sternly, swatting his chest sharply. "We're having another baby and you're going to be happy for us," she informed him, rebuke clear in her tone.

"Unk!" Joy yelped. "Mom!" She didn't know what was going on exactly, but she could feel the tension in the room. "Mama?" Her eyes turned to Faith, the Slayer's glare melting away slowly under the gaze of her daughter.

"It's okay, sweetie," Willow promised, poking Xander in the side to prompt him to agree.

Xander nodded, kneeling to Joy's height. "Sometimes it takes Unk a second to catch up." He sent Faith an apologetic look. "And sometimes he puts his foot in his mouth," he offered remorsefully.

Faith didn't respond until Buffy stomped on her foot and Willow cleared her throat pointedly. "Fine," she groused. "Just watch it," she warned him sternly, letting Willow pull her extended arm down and around herself.

"He didn't mean anything by it," Willow promised softly. "Everyone knows I would never…"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Xander protested from the floor, Joy in the process of climbing on his back. "I just… If something had happened…and you didn't want to tell us…"

"I would never let that happen," Faith growled, her glare back in full force.

"We know that, Faith," Buffy interceded, lifting a placating hand as Willow turned to hug her partner comfortingly. "Let's all just stop jumping on Xander, okay? We got a bomb dropped on us, here. Let's just all take a minute, and maybe have a seat downstairs and you can fill us in," she suggested rationally.

Willow gazed pleadingly up at Faith, one hand rubbing at the top of her shoulder soothingly. "Yeah?" Faith nodded, glaring at Xander until Joy peeked around his shoulder at her mother, making a silly face. Faith smirked ruefully, shaking her head, and Willow stood on her toes to kiss her girlfriend's cheek. "That's my girl," she whispered, fingers sliding around the back of the Slayer's neck and steering her into a kiss.

"Dam-ng," Buffy complained, censoring herself in front of Joy. "Pregnant women get really horny, don't they?"

"What's horny?" Joy asked cheerfully, giggling at the expression on her parents' faces as they separated.

"Yes, Buffy," Willow said slowly. "Explain to our eight year old daughter what that word means," she offered, leaning back against Faith's hands on her waist.

"Um…" Buffy started hesitantly. "That word, well, that word means, like when your parents are…all over each other?"

Willow rolled her eyes, leaning forward and resting her head against Faith's shoulder as they watched Buffy fumble with her definition.

"Like kissing?" Joy questioned, smiling. She was well aware of how affectionate her parents were with each other. She thought it was nice but she knew that her aunt made faces a lot whenever she saw it.

"Yep, kissing, that's it!" Buffy agreed rapidly, eager to end the discussion. "Now, let's go downstairs, Joy-rider!"

Willow shook her head against Faith's chest as the others filed out of their bedroom. "This could be going better, couldn't it?" she asked softly.

Faith shrugged, sighing against Willow's hair. "It is kind of shocking, I guess," she admitted. "If Xander thinks I would - that you would…"

"He doesn't think that," Willow said quickly. "He was surprised, worried. If something _had_ happened…"

"No," Faith growled, holding Willow tighter against her.

"If something _had_ happened to me, we probably wouldn't have told anyone immediately," Willow continued. "It's a good thing that he was worried about me, sweetie."

Faith kissed the side of Willow's head, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself. "Fine, but if he makes _one_ reference to the possibility that you either got assaulted or cheated, I'm going to break something of his," she warned her.

"Just give him the benefit of the doubt, okay? Please? For me?" Willow requested, looking up at her girlfriend. She planted a slow line of kisses across the Slayer's jaw in between her words, smiling against skin as Faith unconsciously leaned her head back to give Willow more room.

The Slayer only realized what she was doing as the witch giggled and she sighed. "Fine, but is B right about the pregnant women being horny thing? Because if that's not true I'm going to be kind of pissed."

Willow nodded slowly, still scattering feather light kisses across her girlfriend's neck. "Judging from my short experience, I'd say she's right. You haven't noticed?"

Faith shook her head hesitantly, not sure what the best reaction was. "I'm hot, babe. And you're sexy as hell. And we're pretty damn good together. It's not like we go a long time without…"

Willow giggled as Faith's hand stroked gently over her baby bump. "Well, for the record, it's pretty much anytime, anywhere for now," she stated. "I don't know how long it's going to last…"

"I'll be sure to take advantage," Faith cut in, smirking. "But I didn't think there was anything you don't know," she teased. "Are you slipping on me, hon?"

Willow abruptly stopped the kisses, leaning back. "I think it's time we were going downstairs," she said, voice noticeably cooler.

Faith tightened her grip, struggling to cope with the mood swings. "Will, come on! You know I was just kidding!" Willow's hand swatted the top of her chest and Faith curled her arms tighter around her. "Will, quit!" The witch didn't cease trying to hit her and Faith spun her quickly to wrap one arm across her chest and one around her waist from behind, holding on as the witch thrashed against her. "Stop it," she growled into her girlfriend's ear, caught off guard when the plea worked and the redhead slumped limply into her arms. "Will? Willow, what's wrong?"

Willow's eyes were dark when she met Faith's, the Slayer anxiously turning her around again to look at her. The heated gaze was familiar and the Slayer felt a flush rush from head to toe. "Whoa…" she breathed. "Turn around is that fast?"

Willow shrugged, eyelids heavy as she leaned forward into her lover's body. "When you do that growl-y thing straight in my ear, yep," she said, voice slow. She sighed against Faith's chest, pouting as she gave the brunette another sudden slap to the arm.

"What was that for?" Faith complained, scowling.

"We've got to go _talk_ to everyone and I just want to stay up here with you!" Willow grumbled, hands squeezing the Slayer's hips.

Faith laughed, shaking her head as she reluctantly separated them. "You're lucky you're so damn cute since you've got all these new violent tendencies," she groused, rubbing her arm. Willow pushed back into her, burying her face in Faith's shoulder as she slapped her girlfriend's butt. "That works too," Faith admitted, laughing as she curled her arm around Willow's shoulder and started guiding them toward the doorway. "Now, let's go before the tide turns again and you try and brain me with something…"

Willow sent her a look, but it was tempered by a lingering smile. "You're tough." She hugged the Slayer's side as they moved. "You can take it."

Xander was pacing the room, but Buffy was seated across from Joy on the sofa, the pair playing a spirited game of 'Paper, Rock, Scissors.' The sight gave Willow a pause, her throat tightening with love. Tara had always liked that game, always played with Dawn. The image floated before her mind's eye for a long moment. She blinked and the two before her eyes became her best friend and her daughter again, but she could see the knowing in Buffy's face. "You learned that trick from your Aunt Dawn, didn't you?" Buffy questioned loudly as her niece pinned her thumb. Willow knew perfectly well where the younger Summers had learned her trick, and she blinked as Buffy met her gaze.

Joy nodded excitedly, grinning at her parents. "Mama! Did you see what I did? I beat Aunt Buffy!"

"We saw, baby," Faith assured her. "Good job!"

"That was great," Willow said, her voice thick.

Faith caught the change in her tone, but a glance between Buffy and Willow reassured her. She didn't question it, just turned her head to plant a kiss against the witch's hair. Willow's arm squeezed her waist, free hand reaching up to lace her fingers with Faith's. "Okay, let's get this over with so we can eat. Who wants to start?" Faith said, inviting the others to question them. She lifted an eyebrow and turned to Xander expectantly.

He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "Faith, I'm sorry. I know you never would have let anything happen to Will. And I'm actually really excited that you guys are having another kid. I just was a little stunned. I mean, you called us over for breakfast, or a talk, or whatever, and I get here and you're…" He gestured to the pregnant witch. Their eyes locked and he smiled happily. "You look really good, Will," he said, his voice hoarse with affection.

Willow blinked back tears, silently cursing her overwhelming hormones, and Faith squeezed her hand gently before letting her go. Xander's arms folded her up gently, his voice quiet as he murmured into her hair. Faith and Buffy exchanged looks, the blonde losing her breath as Joy plopped firmly into her lap suddenly.

"Everybody's happy again!" the little girl declared loudly. "Can we have waffles now?" she asked, looking pleadingly at Faith.

The brunette nodded, arms crossing her chest. "Sure thing. Are you going to help me mix the batter? Because you're better at it than me."

"Yeah!" Joy answered eagerly, shoving off of her Aunt's stomach to jump down. Buffy huffed again breathlessly, narrowing her eyes as Faith smirked across the room at her and touched her daughter's head as the little girl ran past her into the kitchen. "Come on, Mama!"

Faith followed Joy into the kitchen, lifting her onto the kitchen counter to sit next to the sink. "Sit there and I'll get the bowl for you," she instructed.

Joy dutifully held the big mixing bowl for her while the Slayer measured and combined ingredients, Faith giving her the flat, flexible scraper and standing back as she dropped the last ingredient in and gave the little girl the signal to go. There was immediately a dusting of flour in the air, and a little on the floor, but the excitement Joy got from helping made it easily worth the cleanup.

"Can I pour?" Joy asked eagerly as her mother plugged in their big quad waffle iron.

Faith considered, nodding. "As long as you're very careful," she agreed, lifting Joy and shifting her to a perch next to the iron. "Don't lean over it," she instructed. "Just one hand and stay this far above it." She held her hand six inches over the surface of the griddle in demonstration, just able to feel the heat starting to radiate.

Joy nodded, focused. Faith watched as her daughter carefully poured out the batter, her tongue peeking between her teeth in concentration. The mannerism was so Willow that it made her chest pound, seeing them both in their daughter and wondering what the child her partner was carrying would get from them. A noise behind her had her shifting her attention for a second, her eyes back on Joy as soon as she saw Xander moving up beside her.

"Tired of the hugging?" she asked, tone of voice sharp.

"They were heading for the happy crying," he answered, reaching toward her shoulder, but hesitating before he touched her. "And my girl is always good for a good time," he said, exchanging high-fives with Joy.

"You need to reword that when you're talking about my daughter," Faith told him flatly, one hand reaching out to catch Joy's wrist as the distracted girl dipped her hand closer to the iron than the Slayer was comfortable with.

Xander bit his lip. "Sorry," he offered, his voice making it clear that he wasn't just apologizing for his slip of the tongue, and ignoring Faith's latest oversensitivity. "I'm really happy for you both." This time his hand touched her shoulder, lingering until her eyes rose to meet his. His remorse for the misunderstandings upstairs was clear in his expression, and she nodded.

"Unk, can you help me?" Joy interjected. "We gotta close it up."

Xander lifted a questioning eyebrow at Faith, the Slayer giving him a small smile as she stepped back and let him help Joy with closing the waffle iron. "Want to flip it when it beeps?" he asked her, getting a nod of acquiescence from Faith.

The Slayer watched them interact, her arms crossing her chest. She felt Willow's presence as her partner joined her, but she didn't look away from Xander and Joy. Willow's fingers squirmed under her elbow and around her arm, the witch leaning her red head against Faith's shoulder. "Thank you," Willow whispered gratefully, glad that Faith hadn't pushed the issue with Xander. "Waffles smell so good, Joy," she said, meeting her daughter's grin.

"Are you going to be able to eat some?" Joy asked curiously, having become used to her mother's new diet over the last few months.

"Of course I am!" Willow assured her. "My baby makes me waffles, I'm eating waffles!"

Joy wrinkled her nose, pointing to Willow's bump. "That's the baby, Mommy! I'm a big girl!"

Everyone laughed, and Willow nodded. "You're right, sweetie. You _are_ a big girl."

Joy kicked her heels against the cabinets happily, her attention distracted as the waffle iron started beeping. Xander watched her carefully as she took the handle and flipped the waffles, clapping excitedly. "Mama, syrup!"

Faith raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"Please, Mama, can you get the syrup?" Joy rephrased her question impatiently.

"Yes, ma'am, I can," Faith agreed dryly, Willow squeezing her arm before she lifted her head and let the Slayer move. Buffy slipped into place on her other side, the witch leaning her head the other direction to rest against the blonde.

"Tired?" Buffy murmured sympathetically, trailing her fingers through red hair. "It _is _early," she pointed out, unable to resist as she yawned herself.

"Fine, if you don't want to be an aunt again…"

"Let's not talk crazy just because we're tired," Buffy said. "We're going to set the table," she said at a louder volume, drawing Faith's eyes. The brunette realized what her counterpart was doing and collected the dishes for her, enabling Willow to keep her position slumped against her friend.

Once they got to the table, Willow slipped straight into a seat, head in her hand as she watched Buffy set out the dishes. "Will, you seem really tired. Is that normal?" Buffy asked, concerned by her friend's lassitude.

"I'm off caffeine," Willow said, grumbling. "And the morning sickness kind of takes it out of me."

Buffy frowned. "Well, can I get you anything? Juice or something?" At that moment Faith appeared from the kitchen, a tall glass of milk in her hand.

"Thank you, sweetie," Willow sighed appreciatively, one hand grabbing the collar of her Slayer's shirt and hauling her down for a soft kiss. "You're the best."

"You know it," Faith agreed, smirking as she went back to overseeing waffle retrieval.

Buffy was quiet for a moment, her eyes shifting between the witch and the doorway Faith had just left through. "You know, even after all these years, it's still a little weird to see her be so…"

Willow smiled over the lip of her cup, the milk already a quarter of the way gone. "She's a good person."

"And she loves you."

Willow swallowed another large sip of her milk. "She really does."

They could hear Joy coming, Buffy standing up to help her as she dashed in with a plate of waffles. "Those look great!"

"I did these! Mama let me mix and pour and everything!" Joy yelped enthusiastically as her aunt lifted the plate from her hands and set it safely on the table.

"Next round will be up in two minutes," Faith called from the kitchen. "Start on those while they're warm."

Xander joined them with another glass of milk. "Faith said you'd want this," he said, putting it down next to Willow's empty first glass.

The witch smiled gratefully, squeezing his wrist as he took the seat beside her. "Thank you!" Willow called to Faith, shrugging to Buffy as the Slayer smirked at her.

"I'm the best!" Faith called back. "Now eat your breakfast! Feed our baby!"

"That's all I'm good for anymore!" Willow teased, giggling even as she poked a waffle onto her plate. "Honey, you got it?" she asked Joy as the little girl fumbled with her knife and fork.

Joy's tongue was out again, but she nodded, concentrating. Buffy smiled as she watched them, lifting the syrup. "Tell me when, okay?" she said, pouring syrup for Joy since she was sure that Willow didn't want to have to cope with a sugared up little girl all day.

"When," Joy announced cheerfully after a few seconds, obviously pleased with herself.

Faith returned from the kitchen with the next plate of waffles and leaned between Willow and Buffy's seats to put them on the table. Before she returned to the kitchen, she put herself directly behind Willow's chair and leaned in to nip her neck and whisper in her ear. Willow's face went red, but Faith's look of self-pride mirrored Joy's.

"What did Mama say?" Joy asked curiously, her fingers already sticky with syrup.

Xander coughed around his bite, Buffy averting her eyes. "I don't think we need to know," the blonde hedged. "Why don't you tell us about your game this weekend? Who are you playing?"

Joy happily launched into an answer about her soccer game as Faith finished her work in the kitchen and returned to sit beside her and start on her own breakfast. Willow was sitting across from her, her cheeks still pink, and Faith smirked, winking at her. She glanced down when Willow's foot slid up the side of her calf, one hand slipping under the table to tickle her toes as the foot squirmed into the space between her knees.

Willow giggled, Faith switching to rub her foot between her thumb and fingers while she continued to eat one-handed. Buffy rolled her eyes, but the smile she gave her plate was fond. "B, you're just jealous," Faith declared. "It's okay to admit it…"

"Um, Will, I love you, but _so_ not jealous," Buffy denied, shaking her head. "Happy for you, yes. Jealous, no."

Willow shrugged. "That's better, because I'd fight you for her," she said, smile growing when she felt Faith squeeze her foot.

"Aunt Buffy! Mama is just for Mommy!" Joy declared, throwing her two cents into the discussion.

The adults all laughed, Buffy leaning over to tousle her niece's hair and kiss the top of her head. "I know that," she promised, still laughing.

"Here's the party!" a new voice declared, Dawn letting herself in as they were enjoying themselves. "I was looking for all of you."

"Aunt Dawn!" Joy squealed excitedly. "You're back!"

Dawn caught the little girl in a hug as Joy jumped from her chair, accepting a sloppy kiss to the cheek. "I just missed you too much so I came back as quick as I could," she declared, settling Joy against her hip. "What's the occasion for breakfast?" she asked curiously.

"Mom's having a baby!" Joy announced before any of the others could prepare Dawn.

"What?" Dawn asked with a laugh, sure she was being played with. "Why do you say that, sweetheart?"

Joy bounced in her arms, pointing firmly at Willow. "Because there's a baby inside her tummy!" she explained. "It's my brother or sister!"

Dawn was still smiling in disbelief, and Faith shook her head. "Just show her," she said, letting Willow's foot go so she could stand up.

Dawn's eyes went wide as she saw Willow's bump, her jaw dropping. "Wha-how have you been hiding this from us for so long? I mean, how far along are you?"

Buffy and Xander exchanged surprised glances. "That's a good question! How did you hide it for so long?" the Slayer chimed in, looking at the witch for an answer.

Willow gestured to the remaining chair. "Why don't you have a seat and we can start the questioning again," she offered, retaking her own seat with a hand on her belly. Dawn took the chair impatiently, Joy scrambling rapidly over Buffy and Willow and back into her seat.

"Be careful climbing on Mommy like that," Faith reminded her gently, Dawn blinking at the Slayer's protectiveness. Faith glanced over as the younger Summers let out a squeal that was slowly growing louder. "Oh jeez," Faith muttered, rolling her eyes.

"It's _so_ cute!" Dawn gushed. "You're so _cute_!" She clapped excitedly and Faith turned her glare on Buffy.

"Can't you control her?" the Slayer demanded, grumpy.

"Hey, you're the one who was '_so_ cute,'" Buffy denied. "This is not my fault!" She snapped her fingers at Willow. "This is not the point! The point is how on earth did you keep us from noticing this until now?"

Willow smiled, shrugging. "Simple glamour. I only just started showing a few weeks ago, so it hasn't been a long time. Me and Faith were the only ones who knew it was there, so it didn't work on us. Then we told Joy a month ago once we got everything checked out."

Buffy frowned. "Wasn't that dangerous? What if something had happened and we didn't know you were pregnant? We wouldn't have known how to help you."

Willow and Faith exchanged glances. "We talked about that. But Faith knew, and she's been sticking close by."

"And Will hasn't been on patrol in about two months," Faith pointed out. "You didn't notice, B?"

"I noticed you two being all clingy, but I guess I didn't put it together," Buffy admitted. "But I wasn't even thinking that you guys were talking about having more kids."

"More kids? You're going to give me more than one sister or brother?" Joy chimed in eagerly, wide eyes shooting back and forth between her parents.

"I don't know about that, baby," Faith said quickly, eyes narrowed at Buffy. "Let's just get your mom through this one and we can talk about it, okay?"

Joy nodded, grinning around the table. "Yes, Mama."

"Such a sweet girl," Willow praised her with a loving smile.

"So, how far along are you?" Dawn asked curiously, taking a waffle off the stack but too distracted by the news of the baby to actually start eating it.

"Just about four months," Willow answered. "We don't know the sex yet, and we haven't decided if we want to find out or not." She gave Joy a smirk. "_Some_ people want to know really bad, though."

Joy just nodded her head again, eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Mommy? I want to _know_," she whined, and it was obviously not her first time begging to know. "How will I know whether to practice with the baseball bat or a doll if I don't know if it's a sister or a brother?"

"You'll have plenty of time to practice before they get big enough to play with us," Xander offered, reaching over with one hand to tousle the little girl's brown curls.

"We haven't decided yet if we're going to ask," Faith reminded her daughter, leaning over to nudge her with an elbow. "Maybe if you're extra sweet Mommy will let us find out, huh?"

"Maybe if you're _both_ extra sweet Mommy will let you find out," the witch teased, poking Faith with a toe under the table. Faith's hands dropped to grab her ankle, both thumbs rolling across the sole of her foot. _That's a good start. _She sent the thought straight into Faith's head, the pair smirking to each other as Faith continued working on her girlfriend's foot.

Dawn giggled, made giddy by the news. "Well, have you started talking about names either way?"

"Joy's got a few picked out," Willow told them. "Want to tell your aunts and uncle what names you like, sweetie?"

Joy nodded, her mouth full of waffle. "I…"

"Not with your mouth full," Willow reminded her.

The little girl's head bobbed as she swallowed her bite, and she grinned at her family, excited. "I think my brother should be named Jackal." The others gave her simultaneous surprised looks, Willow and Faith merely watching, amused. They'd heard their daughter's reasoning behind her choice, but wanted the others to hear it from her.

"Jackal?" Xander asked.

"Like Mama's knife," Joy explained cheerfully.

Willow and Faith knew that their daughter didn't know where Faith hid her knives, scattered around the house as they were, but she'd seen her mother cleaning and sharpening them enough to ask questions about them. And she knew better than to touch them, but she couldn't help being curious. So she'd climbed into Faith's lap while she worked on her oldest knife, the one she'd had since they were in school, the wickedly spiked one that Buffy had buried in her gut.

Faith had been surprised to discover that Buffy had kept it, the blonde keeping it in a box in her closet as some kind of weird keepsake. Upon Faith's return to Sunnydale, Buffy had given it back to her and it had been the only possession she'd carried out of the wreckage they'd left in their wake.

Joy had been fascinated by the blade, how shiny and sharp it was, and Faith had explained the knife's origins, though she'd kept details about its darker history to herself.

"Mama's knife is called a Jackal," Joy informed her uncle proudly.

"Maybe we could call him Jack if it's a boy," Dawn suggested. Joy nodded eagerly, obviously pleased with the idea.

"I like Jack! Could we call him Jack?" Joy asked excitedly, looking between her parents.

"We'll see," Willow said, smiling.

"And what about your sister? What do you want her name to be?" Xander asked.

"Hope," Joy answered simply. "So her name would match mine and Mama's," she explained.

"Faith, and Joy, and Hope," Buffy recited, smiling to her niece. "I like it!" She held her hand up for a high-five. "Good choices, Joy-rider!"

Willow and Faith exchanged glances, both smiling. They'd already decided that they were going to use Joy's names, but were hoping to surprise her with it whenever the baby came. "Any other questions, comments, or concerns?" Willow asked, taking a deep, steadying breath as Faith's fingers moved to the arch of her foot.

Buffy exchanged glances with her sister and Xander, each of them shrugging. "I think we're good for now," she answered. "Do you think we could come to some appointments or shopping or something with you, maybe?" She shifted her eyes to Faith. "Just if you want a break. We all know now, so it doesn't need to be just you looking out for her."

"Also, I'm an adult who can take care of myself," Willow pointed out, simultaneously amused and frustrated by the Slayers' over-protectiveness.

Faith sighed, having already had this discussion/argument multiple times with her partner. "Hey, if you want to try, you're more than welcome," she offered Buffy. "Will's strong." She sent her counterpart Slayer a look. "And stubborn."

"We know you can take care of yourself," Xander agreed. "But it's not just you you're taking care of anymore," he reminded her gently.

"I know, Xander," Willow agreed calmly, giving him a smile. "And I'm not going to be stupid, or reckless. I know what's at stake here."

Faith nodded, her fingers working on Willow's toes beneath the table. "And if any situation comes up and you need a witch, use one of the rookies. Will's off duty."

"Unless it's an apocalypse," Willow pointed out, eyes narrowed across the table as she used her foot to poke her Slayer in the leg.

"But preferably only get Will after I'm dead or unconscious," Faith groused, neither of them willing to bend.

"Faith!" Willow rebuked her sharply, eyes shooting to an oblivious Joy.

"Hey! We'll just keep it going apocalypse free, okay?" Buffy interjected, not eager to watch the couple fight in front of their daughter. "Will, you're tired. We should let you get some rest," she tried to coax her friend, not sure if leaving them alone together would solve the dispute or make it worse.

Faith sighed, nodding. "B's right," she agreed gruffly. "We should let you take a nap."

"Mommy, I want to play!" Joy jumped into the conversation.

"Well, you can go play with your aunts," Faith assured her. "As long as it's okay with them. You need to ask nicely, though. Mommy needs to get some rest right now, baby girl."

"Aunt Buffy, can I please go play at your house?" Joy asked dutifully, clapping both hands against the table.

Buffy glanced at Willow and Faith, but nodded. "Sure thing. There's going to be a few of the girls around, but you know we'll just make them work while we play drill instructor."

Faith gave her counterpart a tight smile of gratitude as she squeezed Willow's foot in her hands under the table. Their friends were quick to vacate the house, leaving them in the same position, Willow's foot captive under the table, and the pair staring silently across the wood at each other. The Slayer broke the quiet, clearing her throat. "I'm not trying to stifle you or anything, babe," she said hoarsely. "I know you can take care of yourself and our baby. Hell, you take care of _me_," she admitted, pleased to get a smile in response. "I just…even thinking that something could happen to you, to take you away from me…" Faith's eyes were dark and her voice thick. "It's like I can't breathe, Will."

Willow stared at her partner for another long moment, dragging her foot out of Faith's grip as she stood up. She wobbled only slightly, but Faith still twitched in her chair as she stabilized herself with a hand on the table. She moved slowly, one hand on her belly, and Faith leaned her head back to look up at her as the witch stopped at her side.

The kiss was soft, Willow's free hand sliding along the Slayer's jaw and into her hair. Faith let her set the pace, her own hands slipping over either side of Willow's pregnant stomach. She adapted ably as Willow leaned further into her hands, not breaking the kiss as she lowered herself into Faith's lap. The brunette's arms moved to support her, one on her back and the other across her knees, while Willow kept up her slow, soft kisses.

"I thought you were mad at me," Faith breathed into a space between their lips, Willow's fingers tightening in her hair.

Willow shook her head, reconnecting their mouths and letting her tongue glide out to push against Faith's, spurring an almost playful battle. "I'm just hormonal," Willow gasped. "And you're _really_ sweet sometimes."

"Ah." Faith kissed her again, hand sliding up her back while the grip on her legs shifted toward her thighs. "Got it. Tide turned again." Her kisses started trailed across the redhead's jaw. "I can deal with that," she said lowly, making sure to do the 'growl-y thing' that Willow liked, and smirking against her lover's skin when it sent a shiver down the redhead's spine.

Willow jerked her head back unexpectedly, blinking dark green eyes down at the Slayer. "You know we're not done talking about this, right? You can just melt me with your sexy, sexy-voice and think that we're not going to argue again later…"

Faith nodded, already craning up to kiss her again. "I know. But right now you want me. Because you're pregnant with my baby and that makes you completely hot for me," she reminded her, voice still low. "And I want you…"

Willow swallowed hard as the brunette's full lips dragged over hers while she spoke, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to keep them open. "Right," she agreed. "Upstairs now, fighting later."

"Deal," Faith groaned, taking her mouth firmly as she pushed herself to her feet, Willow safely in her arms.


	11. Chapter 11

It always seemed to be dripping in the sewers, but it was better to not think about what could be in that water when they were patrolling. The noise of the water gave them some freedom to move more quickly, though, having to do less to hide the sound of their movements. Buffy was in the lead, Faith watching her back, and the blonde signaled her counterpart to stop while she peeked cautiously around the corner as they reached an intersection in the pipes.

They'd been following a demon that had escaped from them on the surface and fled into the underground for safety. Unfortunately for the demon, Faith had been busy at home for the last several months with her pregnant girlfriend and this was her first hunt in a long while, so she wasn't eager to let the fight slip through her fingers.

Buffy seemed to think they'd almost caught up to their prey, slowing the pace and taking more care to be quiet. However, Faith had let her pregnant girlfriend out of her sight and was subsequently clinging to her phone. If they weren't trying to be quiet, Buffy knew she'd have been teasing her fellow Slayer relentlessly about her attachment to her cell phone, constantly checking for a missed call from home. She could never admit it, of course, but sometimes it was just sweet how Faith had turned out.

The sudden, loud, echoing ring from the device in the brunette's hands made it less sweet, and Buffy shot a look over her shoulder. Faith shrugged it off, lifting one finger as she answered. "Will? Is everything okay?"

"Mama…"

Faith felt her heart skip several beats. "Joy? What are you doing on Mom's phone?" she demanded, struggling to keep her voice steady. Apparently it wasn't her best effort as Buffy sidled up to listen.

The little girl sniffled, her distress clear. "Mama, there's something wrong with Mommy," she said hoarsely.

The Slayers exchanged panicked glances in the dark, both already turning to retreat back to the surface. Unluckily for them, the hunch that they were close to their goal had been correct. And their distraction gave the demon a perfect opportunity.

The phone was crackling in her ear as they walked, heedless now of the noise they made, and Joy's voice was trembling and scared, but barely audible. "I'm coming. Don't be -" Then there was pain exploding across the back of her head and the sound of frenzied splashing and the deep cocoon of black as she went down.

It was louder as she woke up, the noise dimming suddenly as someone shut a door. She fought to remember what had happened and where she was. The memories came back slowly, but the first thing that rose to the surface was Joy's panic.

Her eyes shot open and she gasped. "Shit," she groaned, thrashing as hands held her down.

"Faith, you need to be still." Buffy's voice reassured her and she relaxed slightly. "What do you remember?"

"Will," Faith said hoarsely. "What's wrong with Willow?"

Buffy hesitated to speak, hands holding Faith in place gently but firmly. "You just need to calm down…"

"No!" the dark-haired Slayer insisted. "I _need_ to get to Willow."

"She's here," Buffy said quickly.

"Where's here?" Faith demanded, looking around. "Hospital?" Her voice dropped as she cursed under her breath. "Is she okay? Where's Joy?"

"Xander's with Joy. They're in the waiting room," Buffy promised.

"Where's Willow?" Faith asked clearly, feeling her heart pounding in her head. The sensation was painful, but she ignored it. "B, _Buffy_, where is she?"

The blonde Slayer sighed, not meeting her eyes. "She's in the delivery room," she confessed, voice heavy. "She took Joy to the store after we went out, but…" She swallowed. "I guess she started having contractions or something. I'm not sure about that. Joy was really freaked out and didn't really know what was happening."

"Contractions? She's still got a month and a half! Is she okay?" Faith asked desperately, pushing up against Buffy's hands. "Let me go!"

"I can't," Buffy said firmly. "You've lost a lot of blood and you have a bad concussion. You can't get out of the bed."

"Bull!" Faith denied. "I'm getting out of here and I'm going to Willow!"

"The doctor -"

"B, I don't give a rat's ass about the doctors," Faith insisted sternly. "Now, are you going to help me, or do I have to hit you?"

Their argument was interrupted by a nurse, the older woman drawing back in surprise at the scene. "Oh, Miss Lehane, you're awake."

"I've got to get out of here," Faith said quickly. "Do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"Well, that was a pretty nasty fall. We'll want to keep you in observation," the nurse told her, surveying the Slayer's chart.

"You don't get it! I'm having a baby. I've got to get out of here!" Faith protested loudly, Buffy helpfully keeping her locked down.

That drew the nurse's eyes up from the paperwork, but she frowned. "You're not pregnant, Miss Lehane."

"Not me! My girlfriend! She's having the baby right _now_, so I really don't have time for this!" Faith growled, her impatience obvious. She shoved Buffy's hand off her shoulder and started to sit up, but the other Slayer had her back against the mattress almost instantaneously.

Faith was glaring daggers at her and Buffy grimaced apologetically. "It really would be easier if you could just let her go be with her girlfriend," she told the nurse. "Are there some kind of quick tests you could run and then do the other stuff later?" She shot a look down at her counterpart. "She promises to stay in observation or whatever all night without a peep too," she added pointedly.

Faith nodded quickly, her desperation clear. "Yeah! Whatever you want! I'll do anything once I know Will and the baby are okay," she pleaded. "Please!"

"This really isn't something I can do. You were hurt pretty badly," the nurse hedged.

"I'm fine," Faith insisted. "I'll take whatever you want me to, I've just got to get to her!" She was pale and banged up, but her eyes were clear, if desperate.

Buffy added her pleading look to Faith's and the nurse sighed. "I suppose we could arrange for you to be there in the delivery room, but you _will_ be in a wheelchair, and if _anything_ happens, we will remove you from the room and you won't be allowed out of this room for the next twenty-four hours," she explained, pinning both girls with a stern look. "Understood?"

"Got it!" Faith agreed immediately, already pushing herself up.

"Hold it! Let me run a few quick tests and we can go," the nurse interjected, smiling soothingly when the Slayer flopped back into the bed with a huff.

Faith stuck her arm out impatiently. "Just get it done," she instructed hoarsely. Her blood pressure was checked, pupils tested for light reaction, and the bandage at the back of her head changed before she could move, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed before the nurse could return with the wheelchair. Buffy helped her into it, the brunette moving slowly in spite of her declarations that she was fine.

The elevator couldn't move fast enough for her, Faith twitching in her seat, but she dutifully stayed in the chair as the nurse got directions to Willow's delivery room. Buffy squeezed her fellow Slayer's shoulder as she spotted Joy and Xander in the waiting room. "I'll be out here with them. Good luck."

Faith sent her a panicked glance over her shoulder, swallowing hard. "Thanks, B."

Willow's painful groans as they entered drew Faith up from her seat, only the nurse's hand on her shoulder keeping her in place. "You need to get a mask on," she instructed firmly, handing it over. "And stay seated or you _will_ leave."

Faith nodded, slipping the mask into place and letting the nurse park her next to Willow. "Will, babe, I'm here," she said, taking her lover's hand and squeezing tightly.

"Faith? You're here?" Willow groaned. "Where are you?" she asked breathlessly, looking from side to side.

"Down here." Willow couldn't move to look down at her, barely able to glimpse the top of her girlfriend's head over the edge of her bed. "I can't stand up right now, but I'm here."

The monitors started beeping more quickly as the redhead's heart rate increased. "What? Why can't you stand up?" she demanded shrilly, a contraction stealing her breath and dragging another groan from her chest.

Faith let her girlfriend squeeze her hand, pressing her forehead against the back of the witch's hand. "You've got this, baby. You're the strongest person I know."

Willow laughed roughly through a groan. "Liar." The contraction subsided and she relaxed limply. "Why can't you stand up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Faith promised reassuringly. "I've got a concussion and lost some blood and the wheelchair was the only way they'd let me come see you." She shot a look up at her caretaker. "If I stand up or am disruptive in any way I'm getting escorted out."

"Please don't do that then," Willow pleaded, clutching the Slayer's hand tighter with both of her own. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Faith stated. "What about you? The only reason I went out today is because you weren't supposed to go into labor for another month!"

"_Your _baby kind of made the decision without asking us," Willow shot back, her breath coming and going more quickly as the next contraction started. "Faith!"

The Slayer held onto her hand as the redhead rode it out, squeezing her eyes closed. "How's it going?" she asked the doctor suddenly, realizing that she didn't know how long she'd been unconscious.

"You got here just in time. Just a few more minutes. You're doing great, Willow," the OB assured them, giving each woman a reassuring nod. "Just relax for a minute and get ready for the last big push, okay?" she coached the redhead.

Faith looked up at her nurse, the older woman raising an eyebrow at her. "You've got to let me stand up," she pleaded. "I need to see her! And not from this stupid chair." She gave her best pathetic look. "Please!"

"You're a stubborn one," the nurse sighed noncommittally.

"Please," Willow added from the bed, her face pale and streaked with sweat and tears. "Please let me see her."

The nurse's eyes traveled between the pair, her hands checking Faith's pulse in her wrist and leaning over to look into her eyes. "You can stand up until the baby is born, but when they move your family to recovery, you're going back to your room," she declared finally.

"Thank you," Faith gasped, already standing up shakily. She brushed Willow's hair back with both hands, leaning over to check her out. "You look incredible," she gasped. She kissed her forehead through the mask, both of them breathing hard as Faith left her head leaned against the witch's.

"You must have really gotten knocked in the head," Willow said with a laugh. "God, I'm glad you made it."

"Me too," Faith agreed. "Joy called me, and she was so scared, Will…"

The witch grimaced. "How is she?"

"I didn't have time to see her. B and Xander are with her now in the waiting room. It was all I could do to get them to let me come up here," Faith explained. "Buffy said she was freaked out, but she's a strong kid. I'm sure she'll be okay once she can see you."

"Are you ready to push, Willow?" the doctor interjected from the foot of the bed, drawing both of their eyes.

"One second," Willow requested, free hand shaking as she reached up and pulled the mask down from Faith's face. The Slayer knew instinctively what her partner wanted and kissed her softly before she leaned back and pulled the mask back into place. "Okay, ready."

"Squeeze as hard as you need to, Will. You know I can take it," Faith advised her, leaning over to talk into her ear. Her head was still pounding, and leaning over made her lightheaded, but she was determined to keep her feet until their child was born.

Willow groaned deeply as she put everything she had into pushing, Faith's hands clenched tight in her own. Then another cry joined hers and they both looked down as the doctor lifted their baby into sight. "It's a boy," she announced, smiling to the proud parents. A nurse handed over a stethoscope and the doctor gave a quick listen to the newborn's chest. "He's a little small because he's so early, but his heart and lungs sound good. You've got a perfectly healthy little boy."

Neither one of them could tear their eyes off of their son, naked and squalling and slimy, but theirs. "Oh shit," Faith gasped as the realization settled in.

Willow dug her nails into her girlfriend's hand. "We're never going to tell anyone that that was your first word when you saw him," she instructed firmly, not moving her eyes off of the baby.

"Got it," Faith agreed hoarsely. "It won't leave this room."

"Do you want to cut the cord?" the doctor offered, giving the brunette a smile.

Faith blinked, surprised, and glanced down at her partner. "Go on," Willow coaxed with a tired smile.

The Slayer moved from her side slowly, fingers twitching as she cut the cord. The baby was whisked away for his complete check up and cleaning, but returned to them quickly and delivered into Willow's arms. "He's so beautiful," the witch whispered. "Isn't he?"

"Can't we say handsome?" Faith requested. "He's a boy."

Willow rolled her eyes, but obliged. "Fine. Isn't he so handsome?"

"Yeah," Faith agreed breathlessly. "He's got your nose."

"Poor little guy," Willow teased, jumping as Faith pinched her.

"Hey, I like that nose," the Slayer chided.

"Pinching me after I pushed out your baby! So much for gratitude," Willow joked tiredly.

Faith leaned over to press her lips against Willow's sweat slicked skin. "Hey," she murmured. "Thank you."

"Anything for you," Willow said softly, her eyes growing heavy. "Think your nurse will let you hold him?" she asked.

"I'd like to see her try and stop me," Faith challenged, though she wisely kept her voice down. Willow sat up as much as she could, transferring the baby carefully to Faith. Green eyes couldn't help staring as she watched Faith interact with their baby, hand unsteady but gentle as she cradled the back of his head.

"You're a good mom, Faith," Willow whispered, unable to keep her eyes open further.

"I hate to interrupt, Willow, but…"

"I know," Willow said, forcing her eyes open again. "My part's not done yet."

"I'm afraid not quite yet," the doctor said, giving her a smile. "But we'll take little…"

"Jack," Faith supplied.

"Little Jack back for some tests and his shots and we'll have him back to you by the time you're in recovery," the doctor promised. "He's doing astoundingly well for such a preemie. He must have some strong genes."

Faith reluctantly handed her son over to another nurse, Willow's hand finding hers again as they both watched him go. "What else do you have to do?" Faith asked, gaze dropping to her girlfriend as the door closed behind their baby.

"More pushing," Willow answered. "Can you stay, or do you…?"

They both looked to Faith's nurse, but the older woman nodded with a sigh. "Just sit down," she directed.

Faith complied only after she kissed Willow again, once on her forehead and again on her lips. The nurse fussed with her bandages, but Faith ignored her, focused on the memory of her baby in her hands. It was the same feeling she'd always gotten holding Joy when she was younger, but their daughter had never been so very tiny in her hands.

Willow was breathing hard, her exhaustion obvious as she was cleared to go to recovery, and Faith's nurse wheeled her resolutely back from the bed. "I'll be there as soon as I can," Faith promised.

"I know you will," Willow assured her. "I love you."

"I love you," Faith answered hoarsely.

She didn't speak as the nurse wheeled her out of the room, feeling overwhelmed. Willow had gone into labor when she wasn't there, but their son was whole and healthy and she'd made it in time to see his birth. That was what mattered. Ten perfect, tiny fingers and toes that they were responsible for keeping safe. Now that she'd seen him, the idea of being confined in her own recovery room was inconceivable.

However, the nurse looked as though her patience for special requests from her bullheaded patient was at an end, so Faith kept her mouth shut. She knew she'd be able to sneak out later and not have to bother anyone for permission. Until then, she'd just have to stay docile and keep herself out of trouble. She submitted to the rest of the tests without a word, gratified when they finally left her alone, pulling the curtain around her bed.

She tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn't rest, too full and excited. She was a mother again. With Willow. She had a son. She'd never anticipated having a family until Joy had fallen into their lives, but now she couldn't imagine who'd she'd be without her daughter. All the major changes in her life, Willow and Joy, they'd snuck in quietly, but had more impact on her than anything else in her world.

Her musings were distracted as she caught the sound of the nurses bringing someone else's bed in on the other side of the curtain from her. "Just rest here and we'll send in your family whenever you're ready."

"Now," a voice whispered quietly, its owner obviously exhausted.

"Yes, ma'am," the nurse said kindly. "You just rest."

Faith couldn't help the instantaneous stab of jealousy. Everyone else got to be with their family and she was stuck by herself. She knew Willow wanted to be with her just as badly, but at least the redhead had Joy and Jack and Xander and Buffy to keep her company.

Just as her fellow Slayer's name crossed her mind, though, she was sure she could hear the blonde's voice. Faith blinked, shaking her head. "I'm going nuts," she muttered to herself, hearing the door open as her roommate got their visitors.

Buffy's voice was unmistakable now, and she pushed herself up as she heard Joy talking. "Hey!" she barked, leaning over but barely able to reach the curtain with the tips of her fingers. "Open the curtain!" she called.

"Mama?" Joy asked, confused. "Are you over there?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me! Open up and let me see you," she requested. "Is Mom…" Her voice trailed off as Joy jerked the bottom of the curtain out of the way, running and diving into her bed.

"Gently," Buffy chided as she finished moving the curtain. "Mama's hurt."

"Will?" Faith called, her vision obscured by her daughter's unruly hair.

"I'm here," the witch called back, her voice soft and weak. "How come you're over there?"

Faith laughed helplessly. "I don't know! I thought for sure we'd be on different floors."

"I guess that nurse has a soft spot after all," Buffy commented with a smirk. "Did you behave yourself in the delivery room?" she teased.

Faith nodded, hugging Joy to her. "Of course I did! I was an angel!"

"Mama!" Joy said with a laugh, squirming to get away. "Where's my brother?"

"They're bringing him now, sweetie," Willow said, telling Joy as well as Faith. She yawned helplessly, and Faith sat up, intending to join her family on the other side of the room. There was only five feet between them, but it was too much.

"No, no! Miss Lehane, you promised to a perfectly cooperative patient, did you not?" her nurse interjected as she entered, followed by the pediatric nurses with Jack's clear plastic carrier.

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts! You will stay in that bed or we will find another room for you."

"That's just mean!" Faith whined as Joy jumped down to run across the room and inspect her baby brother. "They're right _there_! I can't move six feet?"

"No, you may not!" she answered promptly, though it was clear that she was hiding a smile. "Now, I'm going to check on you once more tonight just before my shift ends, and then I'll be back in the morning to see if you can get your hard head released."

Faith nodded eagerly. "Thank you." She sat still, though impatiently, through the checkup, throwing her legs out of bed as soon as the door shut behind the nurses.

"Faith," Willow rebuked her gently even as traitorous hands reached out for her. "You're supposed to be in bed!"

Faith considered her for a brief moment before she rounded the bed to slide in next to Willow. "There. I'm in bed," she announced, pleased with her compromise. "There's my guy," she breathed in wonder as she leaned up to watch Jack over Willow's side.

"You guys did good," Xander said, smiling at the pair. "He's cute."

"Damn straight he's cute!" Faith agreed proudly, huffing when her language got her an elbow in the gut. She slipped an arm around the witch's shoulder and lifted her gently so she could slip herself in underneath her exhausted girlfriend. "Don't listen to those words, Joy."

The little girl rolled her eyes, leaning over to inspect the baby. "He's so _little_," she whispered, poking at his hand tentatively while he waved it over his head.

"We've got to be really careful with him," Willow reminded her. "We don't want to hurt him."

Joy shook her head solemnly, giggling as he yawned. "He's sleepy!"

"He's had a long day," Faith pointed out, smiling as Willow relaxed against her. "So has Mommy," she added, voice lower.

"Do you care if we hold him?" Buffy asked, giving her counterpart a smile.

Faith shook her head, feeling Willow's breathing slow as she succumbed to sleep. "Of course not."

The blonde gingerly lifted the baby, smiling happily as he curled into her while he dozed. "Hey there, Jack," she murmured. "I beat up your Mama for fun!"

"Don't lie to my son," Faith called from the bed, her eyes closed as she rested her head against Willow's hair. She knew they had a limited window before she needed to get back to her own bed, but she wanted to savor the peace. It was rare in their lives, and on today of all days, she wanted to bask in it. Xander was leaning over Buffy's shoulder to look at the baby, the blonde bouncing him lightly as he slept peacefully.

Willow only stirred when Faith moved under her several hours later, the witch bolting up from sleep. "Where is he? Is he hungry?"

"He's asleep, babe. It's okay," Faith whispered, pressing a kiss to her lover's shoulder. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I've got to get back in my own bed before that nurse comes back to check on me. I don't want to get bounced."

Willow whimpered pathetically, one hand grasping the Slayer's wrist and hauling her arm back around herself. "I don't want you to go all the way over there. I want you to sleep here with me," she whined.

Faith nodded, kissing behind her ear. "I know. Me too. Believe me, I'm not sleeping without you. I've just got to be in the right bed at bed checks." She groaned. "That sounds like we're at some kind of weird chaperoned summer camp, or something."

"We'd have gotten kicked out of that camp _so _fast," Willow said, leaning back into her and closing her eyes.

"Damn right," Faith agreed, reluctantly squirming herself out from under Willow. "Unfortunately…"

"I know," Willow agreed, her petulance obvious. "Go do what you've got to do and get back to me."

Faith leaned over to kiss her quickly as she climbed out of bed, smiling against the witch's lips as Willow's fingers curled through her hair. "I promise you, I'll be right back."

"Go on," Willow said, her eyes closed and one hand shoving at the Slayer's shoulder. "M'sleepy."

"Okay," Faith agreed with a laugh, her sharp hearing catching the sound of footsteps coming in their direction, and she dashed for her bed, throwing herself under the thin blankets and trying to look sleepy as she rolled over to scowl at the nurse framed in the light from the hall.

"You're fooling no one, Miss Lehane," she said wisely as she leaned over to test the Slayer's reaction to light. "But I'll see you in the morning at seven when I come in."

Faith smirked, winking as the nurse closed the door, and slipping back across the room to slide back into the space behind Willow. The witch moaned as she squirmed backward to be closer to Faith's warmth. "How'd you get knocked out today?" she asked, voice soft and sleepy.

Faith chuckled into her hair, curling an arm protectively around Willow's middle. "Joy called to tell me that there's something wrong with you. I was a _lot_ distracted and got taken down. It would have happened to anyone." She buried her nose in red hair and took a deep breath. "But that doesn't matter anymore. You're here, and safe, and Jack's healthy, and so, just _so perfect_, Will! And we did that!"

Willow whimpered, fingers lacing tightly through Faith's. "Yeah, we did," she agreed hoarsely. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."

"Shut up," Faith denied. "You know I'd take more than some little knock to the head for you." There was a pause, the Slayer drawing in another deep breath. "You and our kids." It was the first time either one had used that word in the plural, and it drew a shocked breath from the witch.

"I like how that sounds," Willow confessed. "Me and you, and our _kids_," she whispered. "Faith…"

The Slayer cleared her throat gruffly. "I know, Will. I know." The witch yawned heavily and Faith drew her in closer. "You need to sleep," she coaxed softly.

Willow nodded, keeping herself close to her girlfriend. She knew that neither of them would be getting much sleep once they got home with a newborn and their always hyper daughter. Fortunately, they were both used to going without sleep. They'd make it work. And it would be totally worth it.

Faith heard her nurse coming the next morning, but couldn't drag herself away from Willow. "I know. I'm in the wrong bed," she grumbled without opening her eyes. "Too bad."

"I don't believe I ever said congratulations yesterday, Miss Lehane," the nurse said instead of confronting her. "Your son is beautiful." Faith peeked out and saw the nurse leaned over the baby's carrier. "Such a sweet boy!" she cooed.

"Thank you," Faith answered, reluctantly forcing herself up. "What do I need to do to get out of here and be able to take him home?"

"Just a quick check and you're free to go," the older woman promised. "I'm not at liberty to clear your son or your girlfriend, I'm afraid. Everything went fairly smoothly yesterday, though, so I'd guess that they'll only be in here for a few days at the most. As long as nothing goes wrong."

"Thank you," Faith repeated, standing up slowly so she wouldn't wake Willow. "I appreciate you letting me get away with so much yesterday."

The nurse smirked, lifting an eyebrow as she slipped the blood pressure cuff onto the cooperating Slayer's arm. "You don't seem like the type to take no for an answer, Miss Lehane."

"She's not," a sleepy voice chimed in from the bed. "But thank you for obliging us," Willow said, yawning as she turned over to look at them. "I don't know what I'd have done without her holding my hand."

Their elder smiled as she jotted down Faith's blood pressure results and loosened the cuff. "You two seem like a very loving couple," she observed. "And your daughter is adorable. All these cute kids you two have, you should make an honest woman of her," she said, glancing up at Faith.

The Slayer choked, pounding her chest with a fist as Willow watched with wide eyes. "Don't die," she advised. "We need you around." She stood up from the bed and stretched just as Jack started moving in his carrier. "And I don't need a ring to know she's mine," she told the nurse proudly, standing on her toes to kiss Faith quickly before she shuffled over to pick up their son from his bed. "Good morning, baby!" she greeted him cheerfully. "Did you sleep good? I slept good!"

"I didn't mean any offense, just an old woman sticking her nose in where it's not asked." She finished with Faith's chart and smiled to the pair.

"None taken," Willow assured her. "I'm happy to share my life with the Lehanes."

Faith blinked, frowning. "Wait, what? You gave Jack my name?"

Willow nodded, distracted by the baby. "Of course. Joy has your name. It just made sense." She looked up. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, but…" Faith wasn't sure what about that bothered her. Joy had taken her name once the adoption was finalized, and it _did_ make sense that their second child share that with his sister. "You're the only one left out," she realized.

"I'm not left out," Willow objected. "I'm a mother to your kids. And I'm your partner." She smiled happily as Jack made some small baby noise. The nurse slipped out without either of them noticing. "And we've talked about getting married. We don't need that." She fumbled with the collar of her nursing shirt. "Can you help me with this?"

Faith was quick to get to her side, slipping the buttons out and turning her back as Willow tried to get Jack to nurse. "What are you doing?" Willow laughed when she noticed. "It's nothing you haven't see before!"

"I don't know! Maybe it's something private!" Faith objected. "Joy was pretty much eating regular food when we got her!"

Willow's free hand reached up and tugged on the Slayer's wrist. "Come here," she coaxed. "You are just as much his parent as I am," she reminded her girlfriend. "And there's nothing that you can't see or do."

Faith lifted both hands quickly. "I think I'll just stick with giving him a bottle, or whatever."

Willow laughed, grip shifting to the waist of Faith's hospital issued pants. "That's fine. Just come here," she prompted. "If you won't look at me when I'm feeding him I'm not going to get to see you much for the next few months."

Faith took a deep breath as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her weight shifted unconsciously, the sudden realization that Willow was the only one of them without her name bothering her. "Will…"

"Don't you dare propose to me because of what that nurse said," Willow cut her off, demonstrating impressive insight. "You still don't want to get married. We've discussed it. It doesn't mean anything to you, so there's no reason to do it." Faith didn't answer and Willow leaned over to rest her head against the brunette's shoulder. "Does it bother you that I don't have your name?" she asked softly.

"I think it does now," Faith confessed, leaning back against her hands as she planted them on the mattress behind her. "Even though it seems like some old school possessive thing. Like I want to brand you or something. But we have kids together, Will. Kids with my name."

"And they know who their parents are," Willow answered. "Or Joy does, and Jack will."

"Did you never want to get married when you were a kid?" Faith asked curiously, looking down at the top of her girlfriend's head.

Willow shrugged, yawning as she watched Jack eat. "I think it crosses every little girl's mind at least once." She smirked, poking the Slayer's leg with two fingers. "Except maybe yours."

"Yeah," Faith agreed, chuckling. "But what about you? You never saw the big white wedding? I know you were probably marrying a dude in those fantasies, but you don't want any of the rest of it? You can't have a dude, though," she clarified pointedly.

Willow giggled, rolling her eyes. "No, no dudes," she agreed. "Faith, I'm so unbelievably happy with our life right now. Aren't you?"

Faith nodded quickly. "Of course."

"I'll change my name if that'll make you happy," the witch offered. "But I'm completely fine without getting married." She shifted Jack to her shoulder as he finished eating, standing up to walk with him. "It wouldn't even be legal anyway," she pointed out.

Faith blinked, shaking her head. "I don't think that's the point of getting married," she said earnestly.

Willow was distracted, but Faith's sincerity reached her and she paused, bouncing Jack lightly against her shoulder. "Are you being serious right now?" she asked. "Because we've talked about this." She met Faith's brown eyes directly. "Honey, if I thought you actually wanted to marry me, I'd run down an aisle. But if you're just talking like this because some stranger who doesn't know anything about us said something, I'm going to say no."

Faith frowned, elbows relaxing and dropping her backwards onto her back. "I'm not proposing. I'm just…asking. We're talking," she insisted. "So you _would_ marry me, but not if I'm asking?"

Willow sighed as Jack yawned. "Sweetie, where is this coming from?" she asked. "I'll get the paperwork started tomorrow to change my name if that'll make it better."

"You deserve better," Faith said, voice gruff. "You deserve more than just changing your name. You deserve commitment and rings and a big ass cake, or whatever."

Willow stared at her lover for a long moment. "Faith, no. We have everything we need. We're committed. Cake does sound good, but I think that's mostly because I'm starving."

"I'm not kidding," Faith pushed. "Willow…"

"Faith, I'm asking you not to do this," Willow cut her off, Jack asleep in her arms.

The Slayer growled in frustration. "What do you want for breakfast?" she asked instead. "I'll go get you whatever."

Willow glared at her for a moment before her expression relaxed and just became tired. "Anything you can find is fine."

"Great," Faith agreed, her own annoyance not fading as quickly.

"Faith," Willow called her back as she reached the door. "Thank you."

"Yeah, sure," the Slayer agreed without turning.

Willow sat down wearily as the door closed behind her girlfriend, leaning her head down to kiss the top of their son's head. "That didn't go well, did it, Jack?" She was pacing a few moments later, unable to help herself. "Your Mama doesn't want to get married. And that's fine," she said, telling herself that she was talking to the sleeping baby on her chest rather than talking to herself, but it didn't make her feel any better. "All that matters is that Mama and I love each other so much." She pecked a soft kiss to the baby's smooth skin. "And we love you and your sister more than anything."

"But we've been together for almost fifteen years now. That's commitment!" She sighed. "She doesn't want to marry anyone. I'm not taking it personally. I just don't want Mama to feel like she _has_ to do anything." She turned for another lap. "I love her. I'm not going anywhere."

"Talking to yourself, Will?" Buffy interjected as she entered. "Ooh, baby! Gimme, gimme," she directed, putting down a bag and lifting both hands for the baby. "Where's Faith?"

"She went to get us something for breakfast, but she's also a little bit mad at me, I think," Willow answered as she handed Jack to her friend.

Buffy was happily inspecting the sleeping infant and didn't look up. "Mad? What's she mad about? Did that nurse bust her in the wrong bed this morning?"

"Yes, but that's not what she's annoyed at me about. The nurse made a comment about making an honest woman out of me and Faith started talking all this stuff about getting married."

Buffy lifted her head at that, smiling. "Whoa. I mean, she was the one who didn't want to do it…" Willow chewed on her lip without saying anything. "Will, you didn't turn her down, did you?"

"She didn't propose! I just said that I know that she doesn't want to get married and that I'd change my name to match hers and the kids if it would make her feel better about it."

Buffy winced, shaking her head. "Willow, no…" she groaned. "Faith's never been interested in getting married before. If she seriously is thinking about it, even just starting to, you should be trying to help her."

"I thought I _was_ helping her!" Willow protested. "I'm completely fine if she never brings it up again. We're a family. That's what matters to me. There's no pressure from me. And I don't want her to put pressure on herself because it's what she thinks I want!"

"What if marrying you is what _she_ wants?" Buffy challenged. "I know Faith is impulsive and doesn't always think things through, but if she wants to marry you what difference does it make if it's spontaneous?"

"Because I don't want her to wake up some morning after that spontaneous decision and resent me for it," Willow answered, letting herself flop back into the hospital bed. "Ugh, it's too early for this! I just had a baby yesterday and now my girlfriend's not talking to me! What are you even doing here this early?" she demanded grumpily.

"That's one of the benefits of not having an actual job," the Slayer joked. Buffy paused before she spoke again, considering her words. "Will, you're not running again, are you?" The witch just groaned, crossing her arms over her face. "Come on, Will! The first two years you were with Faith you panicked anytime she made a move to go further. But you're telling me that's not what you're doing now?"

"That was a long time ago, Buffy. Faith and me, we're solid now," Willow said wearily.

"But you do want to marry her, don't you? Hypothetically, if she wanted to marry you, what would you say?" the Slayer asked.

Willow groaned again, not moving. "Buffy, there's no point…" The blonde just cleared her throat insistently. "But if I was humoring you, and _if_ she wanted to marry me, I would say yes. Of course I would."

"So if she brought it up, what's the harm in talking about it?" Buffy asked seriously. "People are allowed to change their minds." She laughed. "I bet it seems pretty crazy now that you two used to laugh about having kids, doesn't it?"

Willow let herself peek up at that. She couldn't imagine life without her kids now, and it did seem insane of them to have laughed more than once about the possibility of even having them. "Yeah, okay. We were wrong. Once. It doesn't mean we should get married, Buffy."

The blonde was obviously looking to argue her side further when the door opened to let Faith in. The dark Slayer drew up in surprise as she saw Buffy, a tray of drinks in one hand and a bag from a diner in the other. "I didn't know you were here. Didn't get you any coffee. Sorry."

"No problem," Buffy said cheerfully. "I had some at home."

"Didn't get you any coffee either," Faith said, presenting the cardboard tray and the paper bag. "You still can't have it, right? Cause I got you that tea you like."

Willow nodded, pushing herself up. "Thank you, babe."

Faith nodded without speaking again, perching herself on the arm of the chair against the wall, her feet in the seat. The redhead sighed, sorting through the bag and tossing Faith's breakfast across to her.

Buffy was still walking the baby and she blinked at the uncomfortable tension. "Come on, you guys! Are you seriously not talking? Your son was born _yesterday_!" she reminded them sternly. "Get married or don't, but you need to be happy about your baby boy!" She turned so Faith could catch a glimpse of Jack's sleeping face. "Isn't he just the cutest?" Faith couldn't help cracking a smile and Buffy grinned. "There we go! Get happy!" she ordered mock-sternly. She turned to Willow next. "Now you. Look at your sweet little baby boy, and the woman who gave him to you, and get happy!"

Willow couldn't keep from biting her lip, shyly meeting Faith's eyes across the room. "I'm sorry," the witch said softly. "Buffy's right…"

"That's what I like to hear!" the blonde crowed happily. "Now I'm going to kidnap this little cutie to be my date on a tour of this floor." She hesitated at the door. "He's not going to poop on me or anything, is he?"

Willow laughed, shaking her head. "No. He just ate, but he's got a diaper on."

Buffy leaned her head to check his butt, nodding. "Right. Good. In that case, we're out of here!" She was through the door a moment later, leaving the pair staring across the room in silence.

"I guess we should talk about earlier," Willow finally said slowly.

"I guess so," Faith agreed. "Or you could just marry me."

Willow stared at her, face frozen. "I…Faith…"

The Slayer pushed herself up from her seat, unconsciously mirroring Willow's earlier path as she paced the room. "B was right. You're running," she said, frowning.

"Hey!" the witch protested sharply. "You've kind of sprung this on me here, remember? Yesterday you didn't want to get married. Apparently, now you do! I get a minute to be shocked, okay?" She abruptly jumped to her feet, shoving the Slayer off her path. "And how could you think I would leave?" she demanded. "I just had our son!"

"I don't think you're gonna leave!" Faith shot back. "I think you're pulling away again. I finally want more and you're freaking out again." She laughed but the sound was almost bitter. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised."

"Stop it," Willow said, her own voice soft now. "Faith, I can't stand hurting you, but I don't know where this is coming from. And I can't lose you if you resent me because some nurse dared you to propose."

Faith was still frowning, but her breath left in a huff as Willow's little frame collided with hers. She was helpless to do anything but wrap her arms around her partner and soothe her while the redhead clung to her. "Just forget about it, okay? You were right. I sprang this on you, and we don't need it, really. We're committed. Me and you and our kids. Right?"

Willow nodded against her chest, swallowing hard. "Right." Her voice was weak and unconvincing even in her own ears and she told herself that it was just because she was still tired and sore from forcing a baby out of her body less than eighteen hours before. "Faith…"

"Shh," the Slayer cut her off softly. "I've got a concussion and you just had our baby. We're tired, that's all. We're solid."

As they both lapsed into silence, though, neither one was sure that that was the truth anymore.

* * *

Umm... so sorry about the little cliffhanger/drama at the end - I promise the next update won't take as long to put up - we had bad storms in my area and my internet was down for two days...


	12. Chapter 12

"This is making me crazy," Willow declared without preamble as she entered Buffy's house, surprising the Slayers gathered for a strategy meeting at the table.

Buffy had a sneaking suspicion what was bothering her friend and she nodded to dismiss the other Slayers. "First of all, gimme the baby," she ordered, standing up to take her three month old nephew from her. "And where's Joy?"

"Xander took her fishing," Willow answered, already pacing distractedly.

Buffy looked up from making faces at Jack, arching an eyebrow. "Fishing? Seriously?"

"That's their new thing." Willow hadn't stopped moving since she'd come through the door and she gnawed on her thumbnail anxiously while she walked.

"And Faith?" Buffy asked, sighing as she noticed the witch's tense jump at the mention of her lover's name.

"She just got home from patrol. She wanted to sleep so I said I'd get the kids out to give her some quiet."

The blonde nodded, smiling as Jack's soft little hand found her finger and gripped tight. "And you ran," she filled in the gap, shrugging as the redhead glared at her. "That's what you're doing, Will. Hate to break it to you."

"I don't want to! I love Faith!" Willow said loudly, only lowering her voice when Jack jumped. "I love her, Buffy. But she said she wanted to marry me, and then she took it back, and hasn't said anything about it in three months! What am I supposed to do with that?" the witch demanded.

"I think you should have said yes the first time she asked you," Buffy answered, her voice cheerful. "She only took it back because you flipped out on her! If Faith asked you know it took a lot for her to put that out there. And you freaking out about it probably has her a little gun shy about trying again. Faith has never done anything deliberately to make you panic, but somehow you always do." She grinned at her baby nephew. "Your Mom's a little bit crazy sometimes, yes she is!" she told him. "But we love her anyways!"

Willow grumbled something under her breath and the blonde laughed. "You really shouldn't talk like that in front of your son," she teased, knowing that he couldn't have possibly heard his mother if she'd only caught it because of her superhuman hearing. "So Faith won't talk about it?" she asked, having sympathy on her best friend. "Have you brought it up?" Buffy questioned further. The guilty look on Willow's face was answer enough and she sighed in frustration. "I'd lock you two in a room but I know you'd just have sex and not talk about it," she complained.

"Buffy!" Willow yelped. "What about watching what we say in front of my son!" she reminded her friend. "If his first word is sex I'm going to kill you!"

"Aww, but it would be so funny!" Buffy denied. "And you know Faith would think it's hilarious!"

Willow rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "She definitely would. Which is why that's not happening."

"Come on, you won't marry her, you've got to give her something!" Buffy objected, grimacing as Willow flinched. "I didn't mean that, Will. I just… Has Faith been acting different since you guys got home from the hospital?"

Willow considered without speaking, finally shaking her head. "No, not really, but there's something wrong. I can feel it."

"But you won't talk to her about it," Buffy reminded her gently.

"Faith hates talking," Willow groused, knowing Buffy was right but not wanting to admit it.

The blonde laughed, shaking her head in amused exasperation. "Will, come on! You think something's wrong, but you won't talk to your girlfriend about it, and you come over here complaining about the whole thing. Don't you see what's going on?" Willow just stared at her. "You regret not saying yes and now you're scared you missed your chance."

Willow flopped backwards into a chair, growling in frustration. "You think you're so smart, don't you?" she demanded.

Buffy laughed as she lifted Jack up to her eyelevel. "We know I'm so smart, don't we, Jack? Sure we do!" She gave her friend another sympathetic look. "If Faith won't do it, then why don't you?" she asked.

"Do what? Propose?" Willow asked, surprised by the suggestion.

"Sure," Buffy answered with a shrug. "I mean, it's not like there's a rule that says you can't. You love her, you want to marry her, all you've got to do is ask."

"You make it sound so simple," Willow complained. "Just waltz in and ask? It's Faith! She's going to say no! Or she'll dump me!"

The blonde scoffed, bouncing Jack against her hip. "Yeah, right. Faith's a lot of things, but she's no coward, Willow. And I think you're underestimating how crazy she is about you," she advised. "She's not going anywhere unless your crazy finally drives her nuts." She smirked, shaking her head affectionately. "But she's stuck around for the last fifteen years, Will. That's a not inconsiderable amount of time." Jack gurgled at them and both sets of eyes were drawn to him. "I think you're underestimating how much credit being the mother of her children will give you, too."

"Buffy…" the redhead whined, not moving her gaze from her son. He, like his sister, resembled Faith not a little, the dark curls and chocolate eyes that owned her completely.

The Slayer took a deep breath as she slid into the seat next to her friend, shifting Jack so that he was sitting on her knee. He smiled and cooed as she started bouncing her leg gently, his little hands flailing happily. "You're scared," Buffy said gently. "And that's completely normal, Willow. Anyone who's thinking about getting married is scared. It's a big deal."

"That's not as helpful as you might think," Willow complained, letting her head drop to thump against the table.

"_But_," Buffy continued, stressing the word. "I honestly don't think it's as big a deal for you two. At least not the actually being married part of it. I mean, you live together. You have a mortgage together. You have ungodly amounts of sex, which from what I hear, marriage might help cure, actually." She giggled as Willow sent her a sharp look.

"Again, not making me want to do it," the witch said. "I'm perfectly happy with our _ungodly_ amount of sex. And you have _no _idea how ungodly an amount it really is," she couldn't resist teasing.

Buffy's face screwed up in a grimace. "Eww. But now it's going to be your fault if he uses that word," Buffy reminded her smugly. "The s-e-x part isn't the point I was trying to get to. You two have been more or less married for years now. You have two amazing kids together. It's just the word 'marriage' never got applied to your relationship."

"So you're saying that it's mostly semantic?" Willow questioned, eyebrow arching.

"Is that so wrong that that's all you're missing?" Buffy answered with her own query. "You love each other, you're happy, you've got your lives put together. That's something a lot of married couples couldn't say." She shrugged, giving the witch a smirk. "And if you made it official it'd give you guys an excuse to take a honeymoon so you could add to your inappropriate amount."

"And if we were married you technically would have to stop saying that it's inappropriate," Willow pointed out, starting to smile herself.

Buffy laughed happily, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "True." Her face shifted into a soft smile, one hand playing over Jack's short, tightly curled hair. "Answer without thinking about it, okay?" Willow nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "No hard questions, I swear," Buffy assured her, winking.

"Do you love Faith?"

It didn't take any thought. "Yes."

"See, told you it would be easy," Buffy said, voice quiet. "Now, just off the top of your head - do you see yourself with Faith in another twenty years?"

"Yes." It was simple, an easy statement to make. She'd long since passed a point where she could imagine a life without her partner. Buffy didn't question her further, just sat quietly and waited for the realization to sink in.

"Oh my God," Willow gasped as it hit her. "Faith as my wife…" Buffy just grinned, still not speaking. "Would that be completely crazy?"

"I'm not the best person to ask," the Slayer said. "Remember how I reacted when I found out you two had been sleeping together?"

"That's exactly why you're the perfect person to ask!" Willow denied. "Besides being my best friend, you're the one who's had just as many doubts about this thing as I have."

"I think you've had more," Buffy corrected her with a laugh. "I'm the one who always talks it through with you."

"Which is what we're doing," the redhead reminded her. "So help me!"

"I thought we'd made some progress! Or have you not admitted to yourself that you want to marry her?" Willow was gnawing on her lip and Buffy sighed. "What's holding you up?"

"Mostly the idea of proposing," Willow confessed. "What if she says no? What if all of this is just me being crazy, but I was right all along and she never wanted to get married in the first place? Because I could live with her for the rest of my life and not get married and I'd honestly be fine as long as we established that she didn't want to do it."

"Willow, you guys had already established that," Buffy pointed out. "And she still brought it up. She's not going to say no."

"You think?" Willow asked, and it was easy to hear her desperation in her voice. "I can't lose her, Buffy."

"You won't. She loves you every bit as much as you love her." The Slayer sighed, taking her friend's hand. "Will, even if she does say no, you could never lose her. She's the mother of your kids."

"I don't want her to stay with me because of the kids!"

"That's not what I'm saying," Buffy interjected patiently, silently wondering when she'd gotten so good at dealing with the craziness that came with their lives, even the crazy Willow was causing for herself. "Willow, she _loves_ you. She loves your kids too, but she's completely in love with you. And this is coming from me, who waited for her to slip up for _years_," she pointed out. "I was willing and ready to beat her to death if she ever hurt you. One slip up and I was going to end her. And do you know what? With only one exception that I don't entirely blame her for, she never did." Buffy grinned as Willow glanced up. "And I was diligent! I watched her like a hawk for the first four years. So if an outsider's opinion counts for anything, Faith is completely in this with you." Her smile grew as Willow's lips curled at the corners. "And do you know what else? I don't even watch anymore. She's proven herself countless times." She paused. "Don't tell her that, though, because I kind of get a kick out of keeping her on her toes."

"Are you saying we have your blessing?" Willow asked, voice choked with emotion but still teasing.

Buffy blinked in surprise, nodding. "Yes," she declared. "That's exactly what I'm doing! I trust Faith with you, Will. And if you guys want to get married, then I'm going to be so happy for you both. Also, dibs on Maid of Honor!" They both laughed and Jack cooed from his spot on Buffy's knee. "But Will, if you guys talk it out and decide not to get married then that's fine too! I'll even watch Jack and Joy for you if you guys want a naughty unmarried weekend sometime. I do reserve the right to call that inappropriate, though."

"Deal," Willow agreed, still laughing. "Thank you, Buffy. For talking this out with me and only thinking that I'm crazy instead of saying it."

"I didn't say it?" Buffy teased, grinning. "You're welcome, Will."

The witch was smiling, but her expression became wistful slowly. "Buffy, do you… What do you think Tara would think?"

The Slayer blinked, surprised by the sudden mention of the long dead blonde. "Will…" She had to clear her throat before she could speak further. "Willow…"

The redhead shrugged, looking almost uncomfortable. "I just wonder sometimes, what she would think about me now. It's dumb…"

"No, it's not!" Buffy interjected quickly. "Tara was a huge part of your life, and she'll always be a huge part of your heart. It's not dumb to think about her. You think I don't still think about Angel, about Spike? About what they would think about me, who I am now?"

Willow blinked back tears, and the Slayer sighed. "Come here," she coaxed, one hand pulling Willow's chair closer and drawing her friend into a sympathetic hug. "Tara loved you, Willow. She would want you to be happy. Faith makes you happy. And honestly, I think Tara would be thrilled that you want to get married. And she would _love _Joy and Jack. She'd be so proud of you, Will. You're an amazing mother, and an awesome friend."

Willow sucked in a shaky breath, feeling tears break over her cheeks. "I miss her," she confessed hoarsely.

"I know you do," Buffy agreed, choked up herself. "I do too. She was so sweet. All the time. I still don't know how she did it living on the Hellmouth. She was a good friend." She hesitated, stroking the witch's hair soothingly. "Do you ever talk about her with Faith or the kids? Anyone?"

Willow swallowed hard, chewing on her lip. "Not really. Tara and I were always private. You know that."

Buffy smiled fondly. "I remember. You know Faith would never hurt you with your memories of Tara. She'd listen if you wanted to talk about her."

"I know." Her face split in a teary smile. "She was always so great that first year…understanding when I always freaked out, and never pushing me to be okay with what happened, just letting me figure it out on my own." She laughed, her fingers joining Buffy's on Jack's head. "She let me use her, but she called me on it when I didn't want to admit it."

The Slayer's hands lifted Jack and turned him so that they could see his face. "Turns out Faith's a good one." She smiled, leaning back so the redhead could see her face. "And I might only say this once, so listen." Willow arched an eyebrow at her friend, intrigued. "I'm glad she got you. You're good together."

Willow smiled, a blink sending fresh tears down her cheeks. "Thank you, Buffy." They both laughed as Jack's little face screwed up in concentration. "I think you're going to want to give him back in a few minutes."

"Yeah, probably," Buffy agreed, laughing. "Are you okay, Will?"

The witch nodded, giving her friend a grateful smile. "I am."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I think I'm going to ask her to marry me," Willow answered, hopping in her seat nervously for a minute as the idea sunk in. "Oh God. You have to help me, Buffy!"

The Slayer's response was interrupted by a throat clearing from the hall. "Anything I can help with?" Faith asked, voice quiet.

Buffy put a quick hand on the witch's thigh as the redhead's eyes widened in immediate panic. "Sleep good?" she asked instead.

Faith sighed, shrugging, no indication on her face that she had heard anything they'd said before her entrance. "I slept. I'm awake now."

The old friends exchanged looks, Willow letting out a deep breath. She stood up, crossing the room to stand on her toes and kiss her Slayer. "That wasn't a very long rest. Are you okay?"

"Sure," Faith said in a voice that was _almost_ her normal tone. "I'm fine, babe." She nodded her head toward Buffy and Jack. "How's our guy?"

"He's working on a present for you," Buffy informed her fellow Slayer gleefully.

"Excellent," Faith murmured.

Willow laughed, sliding both arms around the brunette and leaning into her. "I'll take care of it."

"Hey! I'm perfectly capable of handling it," Buffy objected, wanting to give Willow a moment with her girlfriend.

The witch knew exactly what her friend was up to and found herself grateful for it, needing to be close to Faith after her emotional realizations of the morning. Faith seemed surprised by the close contact, but she curled an arm willingly around her lover's shoulder. "I missed you last night," Willow confessed quietly. "I didn't sleep good. My back was all cold."

"It sounds horrible," Faith teased lightly even as she yawned. "Think we could talk B into watching the little man this afternoon? We could catch a nap."

Willow heard the plural pronoun and smiled against Faith's shoulder. "I'd like that."

"Will, are you okay?" Faith asked, voice hesitant. "Not that I'm not a big fan of the hugging, but we've kind of…felt _off _since Jack was born. Not because of him, but…" They both knew what she was referring to, and the redhead felt a wave of guilt.

"I know," Willow agreed heavily. "And I know it's my fault. I'm sorry." She peeked up at the Slayer. "Really, Faith. I'm sorry."

Faith stared at her for a long moment, nodding her head finally and sending hair into her face. "It's five-by-five," she said. "We're good though, right?"

"We're five-by-five," Willow said, smirking teasingly.

"Oh, that's how it is, is it?" Faith questioned, eyebrows lifting. "Stealing my phrase?"

"You don't want to share it with me?"

Faith shrugged lightly. "I guess if it's just you it's okay," she acknowledged. "It's kind of cute when you say it."

"Even though I have no idea what it means," Willow complained.

"Leave me _some_ mystery, woman," Faith requested, grinning.

The witch nodded, rising onto her toes again to kiss her girlfriend slowly. "You know," she murmured against the Slayer's lips. "Buffy offered to keep Jack and Joy if we ever want to take a naughty weekend."

Faith smirked. "What did you do, get her drunk?"

"I'm not drunk!" Buffy announced as she returned. "I'm a damn good friend!"

"Language!" Willow chided.

"I offered my help to give you open days of time in which to do stuff I can't even think about to my best friend," Buffy continued. "I'm a saint!"

Faith and Willow shared an amused glance. "I don't actually think you can get sainted for helping two girls hook up," the brunette said finally. "I think that might actually be the opposite of sainthood for Catholics." She shrugged. "But we'll definitely take you up on it." Her gaze shifted from Buffy to Willow. "Yeah? That would be good, right?"

Willow gave her a reassuring smile, nodding. "Absolutely," she agreed happily.

Buffy couldn't hide her smile and she shifted Jack on her hip. "Hey, since I'm being so awesome in the future, how about you guys do me a favor right now?"

"Shoot," Faith offered, Willow relaxing against her and resting her head against the brunette's shoulder.

"Let me take this little cutie out with me." Willow and Faith exchanged surprised looks. They trusted the blonde implicitly with either of the children as well as their own lives, but they knew from experience that going out with an infant was no walk in the park.

"Uh, B…"

"Just down to the store," Buffy clarified quickly. "I've got a few things I need to pick up, and he's just so cute!"

"And he screams and knocks things off the shelves when you're not even sure how he can reach them," Willow said.

"I can handle that if it means more quality time with my guy," Buffy promised. "And I'll call if there's any problems."

Faith nodded, both Slayers looking to Willow for final approval. "Sure, I guess if that's what you want to do. You've got the stroller in your car, right?"

"I'm all over babysitting," Buffy agreed eagerly. "We've so got this, don't we, Jack?" she asked of the baby, all of them laughing when he smiled. "That's a yes," Buffy declared. "Tell your moms we'll see them for dinner." She waved his little hand at the other two women, Faith rolling her eyes even as she smiled.

"We'll see you later," Willow agreed, combing her fingers through Faith's and pulling her toward the door. "Jack," she murmured, kissing his head and Buffy's cheek before she moved away.

"Don't you kiss me," Buffy said flatly, eyes narrowed at Faith as her counterpart smoothed her free hand over her son's head.

"Don't worry," Faith responded, matching Buffy's tone perfectly. "You only wish you could be so lucky."

"Play nice," Willow chided, playing along with their familiar fighting. "But Buffy, she's right. You'd be lucky. She's good."

Buffy wrinkled her nose, covering the baby's ear with one hand. "Gross! Isn't that gross, Jack? We don't need to know some things! We're innocents!"

Faith snorted, leaning over to meet her son's gaze. "You just ignore your Aunt B, little man. She's crazy."

"Alright," Willow called before Buffy could retort. "Have fun at the store, Buffy. Just remember that you asked for it. We're going home."

Faith curled an arm around her shoulders as they crossed the street, realizing suddenly how tired she was now that she had Willow close. "Babe, I know we've got free time, and we were talking, or whatever, but I'm beat…"

"Let's go get some sleep," Willow agreed, knowing that she still had more work to do to fix the rift she'd let grow between them. But Faith had never been big on talking about her feelings, and the witch suspected that simply sleeping next to each other could help more than anything else at the moment. She already had an idea to help with the misunderstanding that had started the space between them. And she had a feeling that her suddenly overly helpful best friend could give her a hand.

* * *

The house was almost too quiet when Faith let herself in, but she could hear Willow in the kitchen. The lack of child produced noises was suspicious, though. "Will, babe, I'm home! Where are the kids?" she called, hanging her sword on its hidden rack at the back of the hall closet, safe from curious children, but at hand if she needed it.

"Buffy's got them. It's just us this weekend," Willow called back from the kitchen.

Faith let her eyebrows rise in surprise, but she was undeniably pleased. Things had only gotten better between herself and Willow since they'd both acknowledged that the proposal mishap had been hanging over their heads, but they hadn't discussed it further. Maybe they'd have time over the weekend between all the sex, Faith decided as she moved toward the kitchen. "Oh, hey…" Her words stopped as she drew up in surprise just inside the room. "I think I'm underdressed," she commented, swallowing through a dry throat as she stared. Willow had cleaned, obviously, but taken it a step further and set the table for dinner, something they rarely did. And she was wearing Faith's favorite skirt, a black leather thing that the witch borrowed frequently from Buffy once she'd realized how crazy it drove her partner.

"I didn't cook," Willow interjected quickly. "And you look fine."

"No," Faith objected, taking a step back. "You've obviously got something going here, so I'm going to do my part and at least show up looking like I didn't just crawl out of a sewer. Which I did, so I'm going to grab a shower if dinner can wait twenty minutes."

"Absolutely," Willow agreed, nodding and giving her a shy smile. "Take your time."

Faith paused in the doorway, giving her girlfriend a look. "You look really good, Will."

"Thank you, sweetie." Normally being addressed as a sweetie or sweetheart would make Faith's hackles rise, but Willow simply got away with things she wouldn't let anyone else do. And from the look on her face, the redhead knew exactly how much leeway the Slayer gave her.

"I'll be back in a few," Faith said, clearing her throat. If she didn't have suspicions that Willow had something specific planned, she'd have been across the room in a heartbeat to lift her girlfriend to the counter and show her exactly how much she'd missed her during these last three months of awkward tension.

Willow paced as soon as Faith was out of the room, her fingers fumbling for the phone. "Come on!" Buffy answered without saying hello. "She's not going to say no, Will! Just ask her already!"

There was muffled fumbling on the other end of the phone and Willow was surprised to hear her daughter's voice. "Are you and Mama married yet?" the eight year old demanded, obviously impatient.

"No, sweetie," Willow answered laughing. "I haven't asked her yet."

"Do it!" Joy yelped loudly.

Willow could hear Buffy laughing, and the witch sighed as her best friend took the phone back. "See? There's your cheering section right there."

"Little bit bossy for a cheering section," Willow commented, feeling her nerves rising to choke her.

"Well, you're trying to psyche yourself out of it, and that's no good!" Buffy pointed out. "Just ask her and she'll say yes and you won't have to worry about it anymore! Hey, how come you can call me right now anyway? Faith should be home by now."

"She's in the shower and I'm panicking."

"Why? That's perfect for you guys! You just go join her, give her the ring and you're already on to the celebrating," Buffy said cheerfully.

"Buffy Summers! Stop it!" Willow chided breathlessly. "You're supposed to be helping me!"

The blonde just laughed. "You just need to suck it up and do it, Willow! You're the strongest woman I know. Just ask her to marry you!"

"I can do this," Willow said to herself.

"Exactly!" Buffy agreed. "We're hanging up now! Love you!" Joy loudly echoed the statement and the phone went dead in her hands.

It didn't take Faith long to join her, the Slayer tucking her button down shirt in as she returned. The brunette had never been one to dress up, but even barefooted and in her dark jeans that clung in all the right places, there was no denying that she looked good. "Hey babe, sorry I couldn't find anything nicer to wear, but…"

Willow shook her head, voice hoarse as she spoke. "Don't - you look amazing…"

The Slayer looked down at herself and back at the witch, expression doubtful. "No contest, Will."

"Whatever," the redhead said, surprised to find herself giggling. "I think you look great." Her head cocked to the side, and she moved forward slowly. Faith tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans to keep herself from touching Willow. The witch had obviously put a lot of thought and planning into the evening and she didn't want her overeager hands to knock the night off track.

Willow noticed the move and she rose onto her toes to kiss the Slayer softly. "Is there a reason you're not touching me?" she asked against her girlfriend's lips.

Faith captured her lips firmly as her answer, both hands squeezing denim tightly to stay in place. Willow's hands felt no such restraint and combed through brown curls before sliding down the back of her neck and over her shoulders to rest on the top of her chest.

"Okay, so it's not that you're mad at me," Willow mused breathlessly as the deep, thorough kiss broke.

Faith shook her head, a bit breathless herself. "Don't want to mess up the night."

Willow blinked in surprise and reached around behind Faith to drag both hands out of their hiding spots in her butt pockets. "Honey, kissing me like that will never ruin a night." Faith smirked, obviously pleased, and Willow took her hand to pull her to the table. "You've got to be hungry, right?"

Faith shrugged, nodding. "Pretty much always. What we got tonight?"

"Steaks."

The brunette looked surprised. "I thought you said you didn't cook."

"Xander did it," Willow answered quickly, eyes wide suddenly.

Faith just looked doubtfully at her plate. "Xander made dinner for us? Why would he do that?"

"Because he's my friend and I can't cook and steak's your favorite," the witch said, voice growing higher in pitch. "I helped with the sides."

The Slayer could see her girlfriend's panic coming, and though she didn't know the cause, she reached up to pull the witch into her seat. "Well, cool," she said reassuringly. "It all smells great."

"You want to eat?" Willow asked hopefully, smiling shyly.

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "Let's eat."

The awkward tension left in the wake of Willow's minor panic faded as they dug into their food, conversation pushed in favor of eating. Finally, Willow broke the quiet with small talk, exchanging stories about their days.

It wasn't until she got up to clear their plates and bring their dessert back to the table that Faith brought up her lover's odd behavior throughout the night. "Will, I know something's up. Want to just fill me in?" The redhead's thin shoulders rose around her ears, but she didn't answer. "Is it bad?" Faith asked hesitantly.

"No," Willow said, turning to face her. "I mean, I hope not. Faith, I'm nervous…"

A frown creased the Slayer's face and she stood up from her chair. "Nervous because of me?"

"Kind of," Willow confessed. "But not because of _you_, exactly. More nervous about what you're going to say."

"Okay," Faith said slowly, not sure what she was missing. "Well, are we pregnant again or something?"

Willow couldn't help laughing at that, shaking her head. "No," she promised. "We're safe."

"Good. I love Jack, but I don't think another one right now would be the best idea we've ever had," Faith admitted.

"I agree."

"Okay, so it's not another baby… do you want to give me a clue?" Faith smirked as Willow giggled again, the Slayer crossing her arms across her chest while she waited with her hips leaned back against the kitchen table.

Willow took a deep breath and held it, staring at her girlfriend for a long moment. "Nope," Willow said as she released her big breath and stepped forward. "Buffy was right. Just got to suck it up and do it." Faith's eyes widened as the witch dropped to her knee directly in front of her.

"Um, what exactly did B tell you to do?" Faith asked, feeling nervous suddenly.

"Not anything like that!" Willow chided sharply, slapping one hand to the brunette's knee. "Faith, I want to marry you. And I want you to want to marry me too." She hadn't intended to lay it out so bluntly, but Faith's innuendo had thrown her off balance. The shock in her partner's face only grew and Willow swallowed hard. It took her a second to realize that the ring she'd picked was still hidden in her pocket and she pulled it out rapidly.

"I know it's simple, but I saw it and it made me think of you and it won't break or anything when you punch things. I'm not sure how much you punch with your left, but I wanted…" Willow stopped her babbling with an obvious effort, hoping she wasn't just imagining the hint of a smile on Faith's lips. "That's not the point. The point is that I want you, Faith. I want you to be my partner for the rest of our lives. And I know you are, or you will be, but I… I just really want to be your wife too." She took a deep breath. "And if that's not something you want, can we just forget this ever happened and just go back to the sexy part of the night?"

Faith let her smile grow, shaking her head in amusement. "Will, how is it that you proposed and the only actual question you asked was if we could go back to the sexy part?" Willow's brow furrowed as she realized that it was true. "But that's definitely what I want," Faith said, relaxing her arms. "The married part," she clarified. And then after a beat, "Actually, both parts. The married and the sexy parts." She gave the witch a teasing smile. "Does that make me greedy?"

Willow bit her lip, smiling hopefully. "If it does then so am I," she admitted. "So… is that a yes?"

"Yes, Willow. I'd love to marry you," Faith answered, both hands reaching down to pull Willow to her feet and up into a kiss. It was slow but deep, Willow curling both arms tightly around her Slayer's waist. Faith let herself touch her girlfriend this time, hands sliding into red hair while tongues gently dueled. "So, do you want your ring now, or what?" Faith asked softly as they slowly separated.

Willow laughed, leaning her head against Faith's shoulder to catch her breath. "I've got a ring?"

"For a while now. I just…after the hospital I figured you didn't want it," Faith said, voice hesitant.

"I freak out," Willow acknowledged. "You stick with me every time, but I freak out and I'm sorry." She poked the Slayer lightly in the side. "If you change your mind about wanting to marry me I'll understand. But you can't leave me. We'll just stay like we are now."

The Slayer shook her head and lifted her left hand. "I think you owe me an engagement ring," she said, hoping the gesture would reassure her witch. Willow blushed and slipped the ring into place. It was simple, made of braided gold and silver with no stone, and Willow peeked at her for a reaction. "Will, I love it."

"I know engagement rings normally have diamonds on them, but with you being the Slayer and hitting stuff I just thought that…"

"You're right," Faith cut in before Willow's babble could really take off. "I'd be breaking it all the time and I'd hate to lose it. This one suits me perfectly. It's great."

"And you're not just going along with me, right?" Willow questioned. "You actually want to get married?"

Faith stayed quiet for a moment, her head leaning against Willow's hair. "Yes, I do, but can we talk? I have a feeling that you won't get past this until we do."

"Okay," Willow agreed, letting Faith's arm around her shoulder steer her back into a seat.

It took the Slayer a few seconds to gather her thoughts, the effort plain on her face, and Willow kept her mouth shut so she wouldn't babble anxiously. "It takes me a while to figure stuff out, you know? We both took a long time to figure out what we are and what we wanted," Faith started. "But we figured it out and we're really solid now." Willow nodded her agreement but didn't speak, just smiling softly as she reached over to take Faith's hand. "And then all that crap happened at the hospital and we were fighting or something and I didn't even know what had happened, really. I _hate_ not feeling solid with you, Will."

Willow's expression was contrite sympathy and she pulled Faith's hand to her lips to kiss the back of it. "I'm sorry," the witch murmured.

"Yeah, me too," Faith agreed. "But I've been thinking about it since I didn't think I could bring it up with you, about why I never wanted to get married, and why it freaked you so much whenever I changed my mind." She glanced away for a second, visibly bracing herself. Willow knew what it meant for Faith to confront her feelings, much less share them with someone else, and she resolved not to do anything to make it harder on her partner to open up. "You know about my mom," Faith continued slowly. "You're the only person that knows about my mom. She never acted like being married was a big deal. Her husbands were disposable to her. And you're…the opposite of disposable - I never wanted to treat you like that."

She sighed. "I can't say I've never treated anyone like that, because I did. I used to. All the time. Hell, when we first started I figured you'd drop me when you got finished with me and I'd go on to the next one." Willow grimaced and Faith shook her head. "I'm not saying it to make you feel bad, Will. I understand what you were going through and I know you needed a way to get out of your head and I was more than happy to be that for you." The comment drew a smile and Faith grinned in response. "But you got in somehow. You're a sneaky little witch, you know that?" Willow laughed softly at that, kissing Faith's hand again. "And I fell for you. I didn't figure on it happening that way, and I know you didn't either judging by how you kept panicking on me," she teased, keeping her tone light. "And I don't blame you for that. I wasn't what you expected and then I got unpredictable right when you got used to things the way they were. And then it happened again after Jack was born and you panicked again. Which is fine…"

"Faith…"

"Shh, I've got this," the Slayer interjected, giving her a wink. "My mom treated marriage like it was temporary. And I never wanted anything else, so it's kind of a miracle I don't have a bunch of Vegas marriage certificates hidden somewhere." Willow scowled at that, squeezing the Slayer's fingers tight. "Which I don't!" she clarified quickly. "Because seeing my mom do it over and over, I knew that's not what it was supposed to be like. It's supposed to be permanent. The one person you want for the rest of your life. And that's you. You're permanent for me, Will." Suddenly blushing, Faith cleared her throat. "And this is way cheesy, so I vote we go back to the sexy part of the night. Engagement calls for some celebration, right?"

Willow knew perfectly well how much sharing that much had taken from her partner, and she nodded without speaking. Instead, she threw her vote in with Faith's and demonstrated it by rising from her seat to straddle her fiancée in her chair. Faith kissed her promptly, free hand sliding over the skirt she enjoyed so much. Cupping the witch's butt, she stood up and started carrying them up the stairs. "B's giving us this skirt as a present, okay?" she breathed, not waiting for an answer before she was kissing Willow again.

They hit the wall next to their bedroom door, Willow's hand scrambling blindly for the doorknob since she didn't want to break the kiss to look for it. They stumbled through when she succeeded in getting it open, the witch gasping for breath as they collided with the side of the dresser. "Faith," she said, giggling. "Aim, babe. Bed, not the dresser."

"I know what I'm doing," Faith said in between kisses to her lover's freckled neck. "Just…give me a minute." One hand shifted to hold Willow up, the witch's legs tight around her waist, while the other scrambled for a drawer.

"That's hot," Willow moaned, exploring the Slayer's neck with her lips. "Faith…"

"Patience," the brunette growled, gasping herself as Willow's legs squeezed her middle tightly. "We're doing this right."

Willow's head rocked back on her neck, a frustrated groan escaping. "I don't even know what that's supposed to mean!" she complained, breathing hard against Faith's skin.

"It means trust me," Faith advised her, finding what she was looking for and lifting it into the space next to her face. "See?"

Willow lifted her head from its spot, losing her breath as she caught sight of the item pinched in between Faith's fingers. "Faith, it's beautiful…" The ring was white gold, tiny stones on either side of the central diamond.

"You really like it?" Faith questioned. "B helped me pick it out."

Willow blinked as she lifted her hand up so Faith could put the ring on her finger. "Wait, what? Buffy knew this whole time that you had this?"

Faith nodded, not sure about her partner's reaction. "Um, yeah… Why? I picked this one, but I don't do stuff like this, so I wanted a second opinion, and B's known you a lot longer than me, and she's your best friend…"

"She let me freak out for weeks!" Willow complained. "She didn't say a thing!"

Faith laughed, eyes studying the effect of the ring on Willow's hand before she lifted her own to display them together. "She knows I'd have kicked her ass if she'd told on me." She craned in to kiss the witch, speaking against her lips. "And you have no idea how long I've had that ring in here," she admitted.

Willow smiled, kissing her slowly and letting her hands slid into Faith's hair. "Do you want to tell me?"

"Nope," Faith answered promptly. "It doesn't matter anymore. We've got better things to do."

Willow grinned widely, nodding as Faith started moving them backwards again. She couldn't see where they were going, but she trusted the Slayer to get them there.


	13. Chapter 13

Faith felt Willow's departure from their bed, she always did, but she knew exactly where her partner was going, and she didn't follow. This day was always private for Willow and her morning ritual was something Faith respected. She'd only met Tara the one time, but she could never resent Willow wanting to remember the other woman. Willow was always slow to talk about her first girlfriend, but Faith was even slower to push, fine with letting Willow deal with her emotions and memories at her own pace. And seeing sunrise on May 7th was one of the ways Willow chose to do that.

The Slayer knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, not without Willow, so she rolled over to put her feet on the floor just as their bedroom door, left cracked by Willow, was shoved open by their crawling son. "You got out again, Jackie boy? Did Mommy get you out?" she asked as she pushed herself up to meet him. He had rolled over onto his butt and put his arms up before she reached him and she lifted him easily. "You're awake early, bub."

The ten-month old just yawned at her and she started walking with him, sure that she could get him back to sleep. His curly brown hair tickled her chin as she paced and she sighed softly as he relaxed, heavy and limp in her arms. A few more minutes made sure that he was still down and she returned him to his walled bed. She and Willow were awake, but it was much too early for anyone else in the house.

Faith started coffee as she reached the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Willow outside under the tree in the yard. Her eyes lingered on the redhead as the coffeemaker did its work on the counter, bubbling and dripping noises filling the quiet. She couldn't help morbidly wondering if Willow would have a morning like this to commemorate her if she fell. Of course, falling for Willow and having children had changed her focus a bit and some part of her could even see a life where they grew old. But if it came, it was a long ways off and she knew it.

The gurgling machine finished its work, and she took a cup back to the kitchen table. Willow had already picked up the paper from outside and Faith sat down to read, enjoying the few moments of peaceful quiet. That quiet was disturbed when she heard Joy's bed creak overhead as the nine year old woke up.

"Morning, Mama," a sleepy voice greeted her a few minutes later, Joy waving.

"Morning baby," Faith answered, lowering her newspaper. "Got any requests for breakfast?"

The preteen gave the question serious consideration, chewing on her bottom lip. "French toast?"

Faith nodded, throwing back the last of her coffee as she stood up. "You got it."

Her back was to the table when Joy spoke again. "What's Mom doing?"

"Oh, you know… Meditating or whatever," Faith hedged without turning, cracking eggs into a bowl.

"She looks kind of sad or something," Joy said, her frown obvious in her voice. "Mama…"

"Mom's okay," the Slayer promised, not sure how much of Willow's business she felt comfortable sharing. "I'm sure she'll be inside soon."

Joy sighed petulantly, her head falling to rest on her crossed arms. "Fine," she groused, knowing that she was being put off.

"Hey, come help me with this," Faith called her over, touched by how much Joy obviously loved her mother. "You want to dip and I'll run the stove?" Joy didn't speak, but joined Faith at the counter. She jumped when the Slayer leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "It bothers you, doesn't it? When your Mom is sad?"

Joy glanced up at her, nodding. "I just don't want her to be sad."

Faith nodded back, smiling. "That's good, but being sad isn't always a bad thing," she said. "If it was a bad thing making her sad we wouldn't let her be alone."

"But if she's sad, doesn't that mean that it _was _bad?" Joy reasoned, frown on her face.

Faith sighed, nodding again. "It was a bad thing that happened," she admitted. "But Mom's sad about it now because she misses someone who died because of the bad thing."

"Who died?" Joy asked, voice reverential. She knew about death, had seen her parents and her other relatives in the aftermath of one of the Slayers' deaths. But to her knowledge, her mother had never sat outside and mourned one of them. Not like this.

Faith took a deep breath and held it. "She was you Mom's girlfriend. It was a long time ago, but Mom misses her."

"Is she always going to miss her?"

"Yes, baby. She is." Faith cleared her throat. "You got some ready?" she asked, changing the subject back to breakfast.

Joy speared an egg-soaked piece of bread with a fork and plopped it onto the flat griddle Faith wielded at the stove. They got five slices off the heat before Joy spoke again. "What was her name?"

"Her name was Tara," Willow's soft voice answered from the doorway behind them, both Faith and Joy spinning to meet her eyes.

"Babe…" Faith started, already sympathetic.

Willow shook her head with a small smile, lifting one hand to cut her off. "Faith, it's okay. I can talk about her, you know?"

"Will you tell me about her?" Joy asked, unable to help being curious about someone who clearly meant so much to her mother.

"Of course," Willow said, moving slowly into the room and taking her seat at the table. Joy abandoned cooking to slide into her own chair. "What would you like to know?" Willow offered, a soft smile on her face. Faith split her attention between the cooking and her partner, leaning perpendicular to the countertop so she could keep an eye on both.

Joy's answer was distracted as they all heard Jack start crying upstairs. "I've got him," Faith said quickly, pushing the griddle back off the heat and taking the stairs two at a time to retrieve her son. He was calm in her arms as she returned, wide eyes taking in everything. Willow held her hands up for him and Faith handed him over, returning to her cooking.

Willow dropped her head to put a kiss on her son's head, inhaling to catch the scent of his hair. "Good morning, Jack," she murmured.

"He broke out after you left this morning," Faith informed her. "But he settled right back down and went back to sleep."

Willow smiled fondly at her partner, shaking her head slightly. "I should have known you heard me. You always hear me."

"Better not cheat on me," Faith advised, pointing her spatula teasingly. They both knew there was no chance of that.

"Mama!" Joy grumbled. "Shh! Mom was going to tell us about Tara!"

Faith met Willow's eyes, searching for any sign that the redhead was anxious or didn't want to share, but there was nothing but love and peace. "Okay, sorry, Joy-rider."

"What was the question?" Willow asked. "How did we meet?" Joy nodded eagerly and Willow felt herself smile. "Well, we were in the same campus Wicca group in college, but we only just saw each other there…"

"Was she pretty?" Joy interjected, apparently eager to hear about this part of her mother's life and wanting all the details.

"She was beautiful," Willow answered. "I can show you a picture if you like."

"You've seen one," Faith said as she brought the first round of breakfast to the table. "At your Aunt Buffy's house." Joy looked confused, obviously trying to think, but Willow knew instantly which picture Faith was talking about.

"Oh yeah. Do you remember that picture of me and your aunts that's hanging in the hallway right by the kitchen door?" Willow said, trying to remind her daughter. Joy nodded but her expression was still confused. "There's another woman in that picture too, remember? That's Tara." Their daughter's expression was still doubtful and Willow patted her hand gently. "It doesn't matter. I have more I can show you."

"So you met at the witch meeting?" Joy asked, dragging herself back to the story as she took a bite of her first piece of bread. "Does that mean Tara was a witch like you?"

Willow was tearing up a piece into bites small enough for Jack, but she nodded. "She was. We saw each other there for the first time."

"Was it love at first sight?" Joy interjected again, causing Faith to laugh.

"This story is going to take a long time if you keep interrupting," she teased lightly.

Willow bit her lip, amused by the pair of them. If no one knew any different, there was no way to tell that Joy wasn't Faith's biological daughter. Their similarities amazed her. "It was. Of course, until then I'd only loved boys, so I didn't know that's what it was, but yes, I loved her that first minute."

"And then what happened?" Joy pushed, not sure if that was an interruption or not.

"And then our whole town got its voices taken away by some scary monsters and Tara came looking for me in the dark to see if maybe we could do something to get everyone's voices back." Willow could see that Joy was burning to ask what had happened next and she continued the story after a sip of juice. "She and I got trapped in a laundry room and she helped me move a big drink machine." She smiled fondly at the memory. "We didn't get our voices back until later, so we didn't get to talk about it, but that first time she touched me, I knew there was something between us."

Faith was silent and Joy looked thoughtfully between her parents. "How did you and Mama meet?"

Willow looked across the room at Faith, smirking now. "She came to live in Sunnydale when I was in high school to be the Slayer with your Aunt Buffy."

Joy frowned as she worked on some mental math. "So you met Mama before you knew Tara? How come you didn't have love at first sight with Mama?"

Both of her parents were at a loss momentarily, exchanging confused looks. "Uh, well…" Joy knew bits and pieces of Faith's history, but revealing that she'd turned on her friends and even once held a knife to Willow's throat probably wouldn't go over well.

"Sometimes it takes people a while to get to know each other," Willow answered. "And your Mama and I are a lot different than how we were in high school. I had a boyfriend, and Mama…"

"Was kind of an idiot back then," Faith filled in the space. "I wouldn't have been good for Mom when we were that age. But it all worked out. Your Mom fell in love with Tara."

Willow gave Faith a soft smile, her cheek leaning against their son's head. "But after Tara died, your Mama was perfect for me."

Joy rolled her eyes, already having heard the story of how her parents got together with sarcastic commentary from Buffy. "Was Tara a lot like Mama?"

Willow couldn't help laughing, her own conversations with Buffy about comparing the pair springing to mind. "No, sweetie. Mama's tough and brave and Tara was tough and brave too, but in a different way than your Mama." She gave the watching Slayer a smile. "Mama fights and is loud and impulsive. Tara was gentle and quiet and sweet. But they're both strong and loyal and…"

"And we both love your Mom," Faith interjected quietly. "That's what matters, kiddo."

"That's right," Willow agreed, voice hoarse with emotion. "And I love them both too."

"So if Tara hadn't died, would she be my Mama?" Joy asked, her discomfort with that idea obvious in her tone. In Joy's eyes Faith hung the moon and the idea that she might have had different parents unsettled her.

"No, sweetheart," Willow assured her. "_Your_ Mama is right there," she said, gesturing to Faith.

"Oh, okay," Joy sighed. "I'm not happy your friend died, but I'm glad Mama is my Mama." She frowned. "Is that bad?"

"No," Willow repeated, smiling sadly. "I'm not happy she died either, but I'm glad to have you and Jack and your Mama." She drew in a shaky breath and Joy hopped up from her chair quickly to hug her mother. She was big enough now that she found herself too old to sit in her parent's laps, a realization that neither Willow nor Faith were pleased with.

"I'm sorry Tara died," Joy repeated her sympathy and Willow was surprised to realize that she was about to cry. She found Faith's eyes over their daughter's shoulder, the Slayer looking completely at a loss on what to do.

Jack whimpered from Willow's lap, not aware of what was going on, but parroting his sister.

"Me too," Willow whispered softly, squeezing her daughter gently before she let her go, Jack slapping little hands to push his sister away from his breakfast. "Need some more, little Jack?" Willow asked, getting another piece of bread and tearing it up for him. "Want anything else to eat too?"

His hands flailed again in the direction of the bowl of fruit across the room and Faith moved to the fridge to get a banana from on top of it. She took the chair beside Willow to tear open the banana and put bite-sized pieces on the placemat in front of the baby. Willow's hand found her knee under the table, squeezing gently, and Faith glanced sideways at her. The Slayer mustered a strained smile, not sure how to react to Willow's tears.

Willow noticed her partner's reticence and frowned slightly. "Thank you, Joy. You're sweet. You can go eat your breakfast," she coaxed, giving the preteen a nod.

"Are you still sad, Mommy?" Joy asked as she took her seat again. It's rare that she called Willow 'mommy' anymore instead of the shorter and more mature sounding 'mom' and Willow couldn't help smiling.

"No, sweetheart. I'm not sad anymore," Willow assured her, squeezing Faith's knee without looking at her.

It was almost dinner time before Willow caught Faith alone again and if she didn't know her partner so well she wouldn't have noticed the stiffness in her shoulders while she walked their push mower back and forth in straight lines across the yard. Faith let the handle go to stop the motor and Willow stepped down off the porch once she was sure she wouldn't be coated in clipped grass immediately. "Here," she said, offering Faith a cold glass of water. "It's hot out here today. It looks like you're almost done, at least."

Faith took the glass, turning her head to wipe sweat on the strap of her tank top. "Yeah," she agreed simply, voice low. "Thanks."

"Well, I kind of had an ulterior motive," Willow confessed. "The water was a bribe."

"What's up?" Faith asked, finishing off her drink gratefully and pouring an ice cube into her hand and running it across the back of her neck.

"About earlier, the talk about Tara…" Willow started hesitantly.

Faith nodded, though there were the beginnings of a frown between her eyes. "What about it?"

"Faith, you know it's not a competition, right? You and Tara… I love you both. I always will," Willow said.

"I know," Faith agreed too quickly, meeting Willow's lips for a quick kiss. "I gotta get this done before dinner…"

"Wait," Willow said, hand on her arm to stop her. "Do you really know, or are you just obliging me?" Her eyes studied Faith's face for a long moment. "What is it?"

Faith shrugged, expression growing more uncomfortable by the minute. "Nothing."

"Bull," Willow denied, shaking her head. "Hon, talk to me! Am I doing something to make you think… I don't know, that I don't love you, that I'm not crazy about you?"

"No," Faith said simply. Willow looked unconvinced and the Slayer sighed, pushing at her sweaty hair with one hand, the other hand rolling the ice in her glass. Some of it had melted and she drank down the little refill. "It's stupid," she groused but Willow just lifted both eyebrows expectantly, free hand on her hip. "And I know it's stupid! It's just…compared to Tara I don't come off looking so good."

Willow started to object but Faith cut her off. "I'm not saying I'm - I don't really know what I'm saying, just… I'm loud and I don't think things through. I get myself in trouble, I know that! And I pick fights, all the time. I'm sarcastic and crude and don't know when to take a hint…" Faith didn't look at her as she spoke, eyes focused on a slow moving droplet of water on the side of her glass.

There was a pause and Willow started to speak but Faith interrupted again. "You still dream about her."

"Huh?" Willow asked, confused. "How could you know that?"

Faith glanced at her almost shyly. "You talk in your sleep. Sometimes you say her name." Willow's mouth dropped open, the witch completely at a loss about what to say in response. "It's fine, babe," Faith continued earnestly. "You always sound happy when it's her. I would never… you'll always love her, I know that. And I would never think anything different… You say my name sometimes too," she said, smiling a little smile. "It's hot. And I really do get it, Willow. I swear."

"Faith," Willow sighed, hugging her unexpectedly.

"Babe, no, I'm gross," Faith protested. "I'm all sticky and stinky and dirty."

"I don't care," Willow said, head leaning against the side of Faith's arm. The positioning was awkward, both of Willow's arms around either side of Faith, front and back, so that the Slayer's arms are pinned against Willow's body and under her locked hands.

"Will…"

"Nope," Willow denied simply. "I'm not letting go until you listen to me, Faith Lehane!" She dropped a kiss on top of the Slayer's tattoo since it was conveniently right in front of her face. "There is no competition here. There's not even a comparison. Tara was sweet and kind-hearted and soft-spoken and the least selfish person I've ever known. Finding her was a miracle for me." Faith sighed, nodding. She knew exactly how Willow felt about Tara because it was the same way she felt about Willow herself. "And you're energetic and loud and strong and you know just how to drive me crazy. But you're loyal too, and protective and passionate and you're a great mother. And you make me smile and you make me laugh. I have so much fun with you, Faith. And, as different as we are, you get me. You make me a better person. I never thought I would find that again, after Tara died."

"And you sure as hell didn't expect it with me," Faith teased dryly.

Willow smiled and squeezed her Slayer as she spoke, "Honestly, you don't have a lot in common with Tara, Faith. Buffy and I used to laugh about it, actually. That I could fall for two completely opposite women." Faith's arm bent at the elbow so that she could touch Willow's arm where it was wrapped across her chest, and she ducked her head to plant a kiss to freckled skin.

"You both have _one _very big thing in common, though," Willow continued softly and Faith turned her head to meet her partner's green eyes, already knowing what it was. "That I love you. Completely."

Faith nodded, unable to stop a smirk. "That's good to hear. Since you're marrying me next week." She hesitated. "I just, you know, I wanna think that Tara would approve…of me. With you. I want to be good enough for you."

The witch took a deep breath. "Faith, Tara only ever wanted me to be happy. You make me happy." Willow stood up on her toes to kiss the Slayer's cheek. "I can't see the two of you going to the movies together, but you're strong and loyal and you keep me sane. She would be glad I found you. You are _more_ than good enough for me." Willow nodded her head leaning against Faith's shoulder. "And, for the record, it's a miracle that I found you too," she clarified. "You and the kids are my life, Faith." She took a deep breath. "Those kids are the best things either one of us have ever done."

"Definitely," Faith agreed, smiling. Her children were her weakness. She'd go anywhere or do anything for them without flinching. She tilted her head down to look at the top of Willow's hair. "Will…"

"I love you too," Willow answered, not needing to hear it. She rubbed her nose against Faith's arm. "But you really do not smell good," she admitted with a laugh, loosening her hands so she could swat the Slayer's stomach.

"Oh, that's how it is?" Faith questioned, suddenly pouring the remnants of her ice water down the back of Willow's shirt and causing the redhead to whoop loudly and shove her away.

"Faith!" The Slayer grinned playfully and backed away, waving Willow forward challengingly. "Oh, that's how it is?" the redhead echoed, shimmying to get the ice out of her shirt.

Faith laughed, dancing away as Willow swatted at her with one hand, the other still pulling on her shirt. "Watch it with all the tugging," she warned her. "I don't want all our neighbors peeping on my girl!"

"You're the one who started this little wet t-shirt contest!" Willow protested, though she couldn't help laughing at the slack-jawed look that instantly fell over Faith's expression. "That was not an invitation to go get the hose," she countered her fiancée's warning with her own. "The sun's going to be down soon, don't you need to finish the yard?"

"You want to help me?" Faith offered, eager to keep Willow around after their multiple emotional conversations that day. "You could just go get Jack and play out here while I finish," she suggested, smirking to answer Willow's smug expression.

The witch hesitated teasingly, still wringing out the bottom of her shirt. "Fine," she agreed. "But if I come back out here and you have the hose, you're sleeping on the couch," she warned, pointing sternly when Faith just wiggled her eyebrows in response. Joy was running through the kitchen and she caught her daughter by the shoulder. "Watch out. Mama might shoot you with the hose," she warned, laughing as she peeked out the kitchen door window.

"You look happy," Joy observed. "And a little wet. Did Mama get you with the hose?" she asked in disbelief.

Willow glanced down at herself, shaking her head. "Poured ice water down my shirt." She gave Joy a considering look. "Where are you heading? Want to help me get Mama?"

"Sure," Joy agreed easily. "How are we going to get her?"

"Go get those water balloons your uncle gave you," Willow said, waving toward the stairs. The lawn mower didn't start back up immediately and she knew Faith was readying her ambush. "And please don't act like I'm wrong. I know he gave you a bunch. Water balloons are Xander's favorites." Joy trotted off and Willow went into the living room to collect Jack from his playpen. "You ready to get Mama?" she asked, laughing when he giggled at her.

He gave her a grin and she bounced him against her hip. "Want me to drop them from up here?" Joy called from upstairs.

"Can you see her?" Willow called back, moving up the stairs to join her daughter in her bedroom. Sure enough, Faith was visible poking around in the bushes, something that would have looked innocent if she didn't know exactly what her fiancée was up to.

"There would be a better angle from the porch roof," Joy suggested, not doing enough to hide her hopeful tone. She saw the expression on Willow's face and gestured. "It's only one floor up!"

"Absolutely not," Willow denied flatly. "You're not climbing out on the roof to play a joke on your Mama." The girl gave her a pleading look and Willow sighed. "No," she repeated. "I know you're your Mama's daughter, but I'm saying no." She pointed out the window. "I'll go down and let her think she's won and once she's over here, you let her have it, okay?"

"Okay," Joy agreed, smiling in spite of being forbidden from playing on the roof. "I'll open the window once the hose goes off."

"Good girl," Willow said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She glanced down at Jack. "Ready to go get wet, baby boy?" He just grinned and clapped his hands happily. "Take that as a yes."

Faith had moved the mower and was making a show of cranking it up again, but Willow was sure the hosepipe was laying just behind her in the shrubs. "Hey, babe," the Slayer greeted her, wiping fresh sweat from her brow. "And my little man!" Jack giggled when he saw Faith and Willow felt her heart jump in her chest. It was never old to her to see Faith with their children. The kids adored their mother the Slayer and it was incredible to watch Faith's normally impenetrable walls just melt with them.

"I can't wait to marry you." The thought slipped out before Willow realized that she'd spoken aloud but Faith's wide eyes made it clear that she'd heard her.

"Aww, well that makes me kind of think twice about spraying you with the hose," Faith complained, winking at her. "Being all sweet and stuff…" She paused for a long moment and Willow grinned, silently giving her acquiescence for what she knew was coming. Faith flicked one foot back sharply and the hose nozzle was suddenly in her hand. "I'm not much for thinking twice, you know."

"I know," Willow agreed, shaking her head as she backed away from the advancing Slayer. "Jack?"

"Water won't hurt him," Faith reasoned with a grin. It went without saying that she wouldn't spray him directly.

"Let's let him crawl some," Willow countered.

Faith shrugged. "You've got about ten seconds, babe."

Willow laughed, moving quickly to put Jack down on the freshly mown grass out of range of Joy and her soon to be raining balloons. She felt the cold spray hit her squarely between the shoulder blades and she whooped as she shimmied away from the water. Faith was limited by the length of slack she could get out, but Willow managed to draw her out to a distance that Joy could reach with her balloons.

The first one bounced off the Slayer's shoulder but popped and splashed her jeans. "Hey!" Faith yelped in surprise, eyes moving up to spot Joy launching another one from her window on the second floor. Faith tried to shoot it out of the air with the hose, but it only succeeded in popping the balloon early and dousing herself in a sudden downpour.

"Good one!" Willow called encouragement, squealing as speaking up brought Faith's aim back to her. She was already wet, her shirt clinging to her and her jeans not far behind, but she ran from the cold spray and Faith was hit with another balloon while she tried to turn to keep Willow in the path of the water.

Another water bomb hit the Slayer and she sprayed the house next to Joy's window in warning. While she was distracted, Willow jumped on her back and Faith let them tumble to the ground as they both laughed. Joy landed another balloon next to her joined parents and whooped loudly at her success before she wisely retreated inside and shut the window.

Willow flopped into the grass on her stomach beside Faith as the Slayer turned over, both soaked and breathing hard. "That was fun," Willow said, grinning. "You weren't expecting the water balloons, were you?"

"No," Faith admitted, curling one arm behind her head. "I wasn't expecting you to get our daughter to bomb us."

"She wanted to get on the porch roof," Willow said, rolling her eyes. "She's your daughter for sure."

Faith grinned with pride, glancing down at their wet clothes. "That's not so bad, is it?" There was some small glimmer of her earlier doubt in her tone, and Willow leaned up on her elbows to look down at her partner.

"That is absolutely not bad, Faith," the redhead said firmly. "Joy loves you almost as much as I do." Jack was swiping his hand through the grass and giggling and Willow hooked the back of his diaper to pull him closer, spurring another around of laughter from the baby. "And so does Jack." His smile at the sight of his parents supported her statement and Faith let out a deep breath.

They rested in comfortable silence as the sun flirted with the tree line, and Joy laughed as she jogged into the yard. "Gotta go!" she called. "It's almost dark."

"Have fun with your Granddad, okay?" Willow called after her. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Joy agreed, already running off into the dusk.

"She's staying with Giles tonight?" Faith asked.

Willow nodded, swatting one hand to her partner's stomach. "She would stay with Buffy but she'll be with us, remember?"

"Right." Faith nodded, checking her watch. "We've got to get going. Where's Jackie-boy going?"

"Buffy's got a few of the under-aged Slayers coming over to watch him. I didn't think inflicting both of them on Giles was very nice," Willow answered, shaking her head at the watch. "I can't believe you still wear that thing."

Faith moved her arm protectively as she adjusted her watch, stroking the worn leather band fondly. "Hey! I like this watch! My girlfriend gave it to me."

"Oh, well I guess that makes it better," Willow said, smiling affectionately.

"She gave me this too," Faith said, holding up her left hand and spinning her ring on her finger.

"Well, that's much nicer looking."

Faith grinned, her left arm lowering to slip across Willow's chest and her hand curled around the top of the redhead's arm. "We should get up," she said, though neither of them made a move. "We're supposed to be going to a party, remember? For us."

"Remember how our parties are always better?" Willow countered, letting herself be drawn closer.

"But if we're not up and moving you know B's going to interrupt us," Faith pointed out, leaning her head forward to look at Willow. The redhead moved to lean over her lover and in to kiss her. Almost like clockwork, Buffy cleared her throat behind them.

"Joy told me you two were soaking wet and kissing in the yard and I'd rather not have either one of you die when a vampire attacks while you're otherwise distracted," Buffy said, sounding amused despite her hands on hips pose.

"Our own daughter ratted us out?" Faith complained as she sat up.

"She's keeping you from getting arrested for indecent exposure," Buffy countered. "Because that's not a fun Bachelorette party. So you, get up and finish the yard, and Will, you go change." She clapped her hands authoritatively. "We're doing this! Even if it is still weird that both of you are going to the same party." Buffy had advocated in favor of having separate parties but the couple had put their feet down on the issue, wanting to celebrate together. She wandered closer and picked up a crawling Jack, who cooed happily to see her, and clapped a hand against her face.

The couple exchanged grins as they got up off the ground. Their life was strange and they knew it, but they wouldn't change it for anything. "Fine, we're going," Faith groused, playing grumpy because even with two kids and a week away from her own wedding, some things never changed.


	14. Chapter 14

Buffy Summers frowned as she watched her best friend shift on the other end of the couch. The redheaded witch seemed unable to get comfortable. And was it just her eyes playing tricks on her, or had Willow gained weight…? The witch and Faith had just returned from their honeymoon, so she hadn't seen her friend in a little while. She had suspicions, but, of course, she was hesitant to bring it up if she was wrong. Mistaking a not pregnant person for a pregnant person was always embarrassing for everyone. But the last time the witch had been pregnant she'd hidden it from them until she'd been showing.

They'd just finished a joint training session with her Slayers and the witches under Willow's guidance and they were both tired and a little sore. Teaching the two supernatural forces to work together was complicated. It had never seemed so complicated when it had just been the two of them working together and doing what they'd had to do to keep the Hellmouth under control. Of course, that was a long time ago and they had many more Slayers and witches to look after than just themselves.

Xander entered the living room and grinned at the two women. "You two looked pooped," he said, laughing. "How about I get you ladies something to drink?" he continued when they both sent him sharp glares. "Waters all around?"

Buffy's eyes went back to Willow as Xander passed them to get to the kitchen and she stretched her foot out to poke the witch on the knee. "Hey, so where's Faith? I figured she'd be all over you in teacher-mode," she said, teasing lightly.

Willow unconsciously smoothed a hand over her stomach as she shifted again, grimacing. "We didn't sleep great last night. My back hurts and I couldn't get still and I felt kind of queasy all night. She stayed home to try and catch a nap."

Buffy frowned, silently gathering her evidence. "Couldn't get comfortable? Kind of like how you can't get comfortable right now?" Xander returned with the drinks just then and handed them out. "Will, do you have something you want to tell us?"

Xander choked on his first sip of his water, eye going wide. "What?" he exclaimed at the same time that Willow did.

"You think I'm pregnant?" Willow continued, green eyes shooting rapidly between her two best friends. "I'm not pregnant!"

"Just checking!" Buffy said quickly. "You're all fidgety and you said you were queasy and when you were pregnant with Jack you got so sick at the beginning. And you, don't hit me for saying this, but you just look…different. I was just checking on you, Will."

Willow's eyes grew as the Slayer explained herself and she filled in a few more pieces of her own. "Oh shit," she whispered, gaze dropping to her stomach.

"You _are_," Xander gasped. "Buffy was right! Will, why didn't you tell us? We…"

Buffy took in her friend's stunned expression and waved one hand to silence Xander. "You didn't know?"

"I don't _know_," Willow said hoarsely, not lifting her face.

"But it's possible?" Buffy asked, moving closer to Willow on the couch cushion. Willow looked up at Buffy to nod, swallowing hard. "But Faith doesn't know it's a possibility?" The witch shook her head without speaking and the blonde pulled her into her arms. "It's okay, Will. It's going to be okay," Buffy murmured soothingly as Xander left his seat to take the space Willow had just vacated, providing a comforting bubble for the obviously distraught redhead.

"Faith loves you, Will. And she's crazy about Joy and Jack," Xander said, rubbing her back as Willow buried her face in Buffy's shoulder. "She's going to love your next kid too."

"There's nothing to worry about," Buffy chimed in. "We're not even sure that you are yet. Let's not jump the gun here." She sighed softly, meeting Xander's eye over their friend's head. "Do you want to tell Faith?"

"Not until I know for sure," Willow said softly. "If I'm not - if it's nothing I don't want to freak her out…"

Buffy nodded, leaning her head against the witch's hair. "Okay, well I guess we need to get you to the doctor for some blood tests, right? Or are you going to be satisfied with a trip to the drugstore?"

"Doctor," Willow answered.

"I'll make a call," Xander offered, standing up slowly. He was a pseudo-Watcher and this wouldn't be the first time he'd arranged a doctor's appointment for one of the girls. "Tell the office not to call Faith?" It was in each of their medical files for someone to be notified any time they were admitted to see a doctor. Faith was, of course, Willow's medical contact.

"Please," the witch requested, nodding against Buffy's shoulder. "Not until…"

"Got it," he reassured her quickly. "I'll be right back." He retreated with his phone to the far side of the room and spoke quietly.

His caution proved wise as Faith strolled in. There was an apple in one hand and she took a noisy bite as she waved. "Hey," she greeted them with her mouth full. Her expression froze at the sight of Willow uncurling herself from Buffy's arms. "Hey," she said again, but the tone had completely changed. "Are you still not feeling good, babe?" she questioned, dropping to her knees next to the couch. "Will…"

"I'm okay," Willow said, mustering a nervous smile. "I promise."

"Want me to take you home?" Faith asked, frowning. "You guys are done for today, right?" The way she said it made it clear it wasn't a question and she stared Buffy down.

"We're done," the blonde Slayer agreed, lifting an eyebrow at her counterpart. "Will?"

"I'm okay," the witch repeated, nodding. "Xander?"

"Tomorrow at ten?" he said.

"That'll be fine," Willow said, squeezing his hand gratefully. "Will you two…?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Buffy agreed.

Faith's frown was deeper. "What's tomorrow?" she asked suspiciously. "Willow…"

"Nothing for you to worry about," the witch answered smoothly, kissing her wife gently on the cheek. "We're going to the movies."

"Some chick flick with the girls," Buffy added in quickly to back up Willow's story.

Faith narrowed her eyes at Xander even as she wrinkled her nose at the idea of a chick flick with all of the young Slayers. "And you're going?" She took another crunching bite of her apple.

"I saw the first one," Xander said dryly.

Faith considered each of them and only the glimmer of something in Willow's eyes made her stop pushing. "Okay, fine. You guys have fun. Are you two coming to Joy's game tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Buffy agreed again, nodding. "Feel better, Will. I'll pick you up in the morning."

The witch gave her a weak smile and let Faith pull her to her feet. The Slayer didn't question her as they crossed the street and walked down the block to their own house. "Are the kids…?"

"At Giles' place. Bed or couch?" Faith asked as they entered, patting Bones' head gently as the elderly dog shuffled to meet them.

"Couch," Willow chose, letting Faith escort her to the sofa. "I'm really okay," she offered. "I'm just…a little nauseous."

Faith took the seat next to her partner and pulled the redhead back against her chest. "You haven't been sleeping good since we got back. Do you think you could sleep? Or eat something? I'll get you whatever…"

"I'm okay," Willow repeated. "I think I'll just lay down." She waited for Faith to get up and leave her to rest, but the Slayer didn't move.

"I'm not going anywhere, Will," Faith said. "So just put your feet up and get comfy because I'm your pillow." Willow gave her a surprised look and the brunette smirked. "I'm not getting soft," she said, knowing what was going through her witch's mind. "There's a game on that I wanted to watch."

Willow rolled her eyes, seeing through that pretext, but not calling her partner on it. If Faith wanted to stay close, Willow wanted her close. "You're a good pillow," she said softly, toeing off her shoes and curling her legs up on the couch as she shifted down to pillow her head against Faith's leg. One hand was on the television remote, but the other slid down the comb absently through Willow's soft red hair as the witch let her eyes close. For the first time in two days, she was perfectly comfortable.

Faith maintained her not pushing through the rest of the day and even managed to coax Willow into a peaceful sleep at night by stroking her stomach lightly from behind her as they lay curled together. She knew there was something other than a movie going on in the morning, but she trusted Willow to tell her what she needed to know when she needed to know it. That didn't make it easier to sleep, though.

Buffy showed up promptly at nine-thirty with Xander and they waited while Willow made her excuses to Faith. "We'll meet you at the game, okay?" Willow said, two fingers hooked through the band of Faith's watch as she backed toward the door.

"Okay," Faith agreed simply. "Good luck." Willow's expression froze and the Slayer forced a smirk. "With the girls. At the movies. I don't envy you guys."

"Oh, right," Willow agreed. "You going to practice with Joy for the game?" Faith nodded and Willow stood on her toes to kiss her wife. "Be careful," she said softly against the Slayer's lips.

Faith nodded again. "You too." She dropped a soft kiss on the witch's temple and stepped back, nodding to Buffy and Xander.

The trio climbed into Buffy's car, all silent. "You think she knows?" Xander finally broke the silence as they turned off their street.

"She knows we're not going to the movies," Willow said, watching her fingers play idly in her hands. "But she didn't push at all."

"That's not very Faith-like," Buffy observed, glancing sideways at Willow on the other side of the car.

"She knows that I'll tell her," Willow said, shrugging her shoulders to mask her own nerves. It wasn't that she thought Faith would leave if it turned out that they were having another child, but they'd just gotten married and hadn't discussed it and a sudden pregnancy would be shocking for both of them. She wanted to know for sure before she brought the possibility up with Faith. "Whatever it is…"

"Do you want another kid?" Xander questioned from the backseat, one hand reaching up to cover the witch's shoulder.

Willow considered. They'd planned to have Jack, but his older sister Joy had come out of nowhere - a rescued victim on a routine patrol who'd snuck in and stolen their hearts. She tried to think of another baby at home, another son or daughter to fill out their lives. An image of another curly headed little girl who looked just like her sister and her mother floated through her mind and Willow glanced down at her flat stomach. "I think I could," she admitted. "It's not like I'm going to be heartbroken if it's not, but if it _is_, then I think I'm excited."

"That's great, Will," Xander said. "I'm happy for you." He'd learned his lesson about questioning Willow's pregnancy last time, especially around Faith. "Really. No matter what happens."

"Thank you, Xand, but we don't even know if it is a baby or not," Willow reminded him. "Have there been any food poisoning outbreaks lately?"

Buffy laughed, shaking her head. "Nope." She turned the car into a parking structure and they each glanced around reflexively in the sudden darkness. "Here we go," Buffy commented.

The waiting room was crowded and boring but the other two did their best to distract Willow while they waited. "Isn't there a, you know, _magic_ way to check?" Xander asked after bringing back the least aged magazine he could find, lowering his voice as he spoke. "I mean, it's a sort of impossible situation without, you know…" He was blushing and he adjusted his eye patch nervously.

Willow blinked, realizing suddenly that he was right. "Yes," she whispered. "But I still want the blood test." She glanced down at herself. "I can check the other way at home."

"Today?" Buffy asked eagerly. "I want to know!"

"You're not the only one," Willow commented. A smile cracked on her face. "And I'm telling Faith first either way," she said, poking her friend in the side.

"But you're not going to hide it from us for three months again, are you?" Buffy asked, pouting. "Because I'm not above beating Faith up for information."

Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head with a laugh. "No, I'll tell you, but Faith needs to know first. If it's a baby, it's hers and we'll have to figure out what the hell we're doing."

Buffy scoffed, waving that off. "You two are great parents, Will. Another baby is nothing you guys can't handle."

"Another baby that she doesn't know is coming is a bit shocking, Buffy," Willow reminded her.

"You don't think Faith is going to do something stupid, do you?" Buffy asked, frowning. "Because I know I said I was off her case when you guys got engaged, and you're married now, but I will kick her ass so fast, Will…"

"No," Willow cut her off and put a calming hand on her best friend's wrist. "I don't think she'll _do_ anything." She stopped herself with a groan, dropping her head against Buffy's shoulder as Xander curled an arm around them both. "I'm freaking myself out," the witch said quietly. "I just need to calm down…" Her fingers were idly and unconsciously playing with her wedding rings on her finger while she waited.

The door opened and the nurse called out her name and her effort to stay calm was completely wasted. Drawing the blood took only a few seconds and they promised to get back to her with the results. However, it was a Saturday, so the lab wouldn't be able to call until Monday. It set her teeth on edge to not know for sure for another two days, but she resolved not to hint about her suspicions to Faith until she knew for sure.

Thinking it and actually doing so were two entirely separate things, though. As soon as they arrived at the gym where Joy's little league basketball team was playing, the first glimpse she caught of Faith made her want to throw herself into her partner's arms and confess everything. She shook her head as she walked, Buffy and Xander backing her. There was nothing to tell yet. There was no reason to freak anyone out.

The tiny needle prick on the inside of her elbow was covered by her shirt sleeve, but she still kept Faith on her right side as she greeted her with a hug. "Hey, Coach."

"Will, hey," Faith said, giving her a grin. "How was the movie?"

"Oh, come on. You know we weren't at the movies," Willow said, shaking her head.

Faith shrugged, pushing her hair back with both hands. "You going to tell me what's up?"

"Not yet," Willow answered, shaking her head. "Is that okay?"

"As long as you're okay," Faith stated, forcing herself to be calm. Willow didn't need her freaking out, no matter what was going on. "You're okay, right?"

Willow nodded reassuringly. "I'm okay," she promised, smiling genuinely.

"Then I'll wait," Faith agreed. It wasn't in her nature to be so patient, but she trusted Willow completely. Whatever was going on, the redhead would tell her and she could only hope that she'd be able to do something to help. Pushing before Willow was ready to tell her would only get them butting heads.

"How's Joy looking today?" Willow asked, leaning into Faith's side as she turned to watch the little girls practicing on the court.

"She's a champ," Faith said proudly. "Are you going to be able to stay for the whole game?"

Willow nodded, smiling. "All the way through the pizza dinner after," she promised. She stole another hug and stepped back. "I'll let you go be coach-y. Good luck, Joy," she called, raising her voice. Their daughter just gave her a wave, diligently focused on her lay-up practice.

Buffy and Xander, with Giles and Jack, formed the rest of the Lehane family cheering section, and they were louder than their numbers, all of them cheering enthusiastically. Even Jack got into it, the toddler yelling anytime Buffy did and mimicking his aunt's every move and expression. By halftime, Joy's team was ahead by four baskets and Willow watched Faith crouch to talk to the kids, smiling to herself. Buffy nudged her friend with an elbow, smiling knowingly herself. "She's a good mom."

Willow's hand slid over her stomach and she nodded, biting her lip. "She's a great mom."

"You both are," Buffy said fondly, tousling Jack's unruly curls where he was standing beside her on the bleacher.

"Aunt Buffy!" he yelped, swatting her hands away from his head. "The game!" His focus was adorable and Willow and Buffy laughed helplessly.

"Don't hit your aunt," Willow reminded him, reaching around Buffy to squeeze her son's elbow. The referee blew the whistle to start the second half and they stood up to cheer as Joy's team ran to their positions. Joy took the jump ball and passed it off to a teammate.

As the game went on Willow started to notice the smell of the gym, the distinct scent of plastic and sweat and cleaning solution. It was a familiar scent but it had never turned her stomach before, though. Buffy noticed her friend's stillness and leaned over to meet her eyes. "You look like you're going to be sick," she whispered. "Everything okay?"

"It's the smell," Willow answered, keeping her voice down as she struggled not to throw up.

Buffy curled an arm through Willow's immediately, pulling her up from her seat. "Let's get you out of here," she said, helping the witch down the steps of the bleachers. Xander slid over into the space vacated by the women so Jack wouldn't make a fuss.

Outside, Willow leaned over her knees and took deep breaths. "I don't know what happened," she gasped. "I was fine and then it was just overwhelming. And gross. It reeks in there!"

Buffy rubbed her back soothingly, not sure what to say. "Is it better out here?"

"Yeah, it's better," Willow said, straightening up slowly. "I'm not going to be sick."

"Can you handle watching the rest of the game? There's only a few minutes left," Buffy said, one hand still on her shoulder. "We can stand by the door in case you need to bolt again."

Willow nodded, visibly steadying herself. "Buffy, I think I'm pregnant," she said softly.

"The sensitive smelling thing is a pregnancy thing?" Buffy guessed, smiling. Willow nodded and the Slayer grinned. "Are you going to tell Faith now or wait until you know for sure?"

"She should know, shouldn't she?" Willow asked hypothetically. They heard the crowd cheer in the gym and she shook her head. "Later. I'll talk to her later. It's Joy's game day. Let's go watch the rest."

Faith noticed when Willow and Buffy reentered but there was no time to figure it out as they reached the last two minutes of the game. They still had a lead, but it was small and she wanted to keep her eyes on the game. Quick dribbling and sharp passes kept their lead and the final buzzer rang with Joy's team as the victors. The team rushed back to Faith and she slapped a few hands before she whistled for them to line up and shake hands with the other team.

Willow's smile grew as she watched Faith sling an arm around their daughter's shoulders as the other kids started to disperse and she crossed the court toward them while Xander and Giles climbed down the stairs with Jack. "Did you see, Mom? We won!"

"You did so good, baby girl!" Willow said, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Can we have pizza for dinner?"

"Don't we always have pizza after a game?" Faith teased, her arms crossed over her chest. "You go get changed and we'll meet you out in front, okay?"

"Yep!" Joy ran off with a cheer, throwing both arms up in the air to high five Xander and Buffy as she ran.

Her elders laughed and Buffy turned to lead them out of the gym. "Dawn said sorry she missed the game by she'll meet us for pizza," she said, tucking her phone in her pocket.

"Great," Willow said, pinching the Slayer's leather jacket and pulling Faith's arm around her shoulder as she slipped her own around the brunette's waist. "Hey you," she whispered giddily, hugging her closer.

"Hey," Faith said slowly, not sure what to make of Willow's mysterious errand and subsequent mood change. "Everything okay? I saw you and B come back in."

"Everything is perfect, Faith," Willow answered, squeezing her again.

"Okay," Faith agreed, laughing hesitantly. "If you say so."

Willow abruptly pulled them to a halt and turned herself into Faith's arms as she kissed her deeply, not caring that they were in the middle of a mostly empty basketball court. The Slayer responded immediately, reacting instinctively to Willow's kiss and sliding both arms around the witch's waist. Willow's fingers combed through her hair and the witch was breathing hard as they separated. "Whoa," she breathed quietly, able to feel Buffy's grin without turning to see it.

"You got that right," Faith agreed, blinking. "What was that about, babe?"

"We won. Yay," Willow said unconvincingly, but with a grin on her face. "Come on," she said, stepping back and taking Faith's hand. "I'm starving."

"Okay," Faith said, voice slow but amused. "Let's go."

Buffy smirked at her friends as the witch turned to face the others and they exited the gym just as Joy jogged to the car. "What took you so long?" she asked curiously.

"Your parents were kissing," Buffy said, exaggeratedly wrinkling her nose and shaking her head as she slung an arm around her niece. "Trying to ruin pizza dinner."

"Nothing ruins pizza dinner!" Joy objected, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you, sweetie," Willow said smugly, sticking her tongue out at her best friend. "Nothing ruins pizza dinner, Buffy!"

There were a few of Joy's teammates and their families at the pizza place, and the girls insisted that they sit near each other. The adults decided it would be simpler to let the kids sit at their own table while they took a longer table close by. A few of the moms commented on how cute Jack was, the little boy goofing off under the attention. Willow caught herself hoping that she was pregnant suddenly, wanting another baby with a flash of sharp desire. She still wasn't sure how Faith would react, though. And all of a sudden she couldn't wait to find out.

The Slayer was chatting with one of the dads about some pro basketball game they'd both watched when Willow squeezed her knee, Faith looking down at the freckled hand on her leg before she looked at Willow herself. "What's up, babe?"

"I need to talk to you," Willow said softly, leaning over to kiss Faith's cheek.

"Right now?" Faith asked, frowning lightly. Willow just nodded and Faith swallowed hard. "Okay. Outside?"

Willow stood up, the move catching Buffy's eye and the blonde Slayer nodded toward the kids with a smile. The redhead mouthed her thanks and took Faith's hand to pull her along. The sun was just setting and there was a small chill in the air, sending a shiver down Willow's spine.

"You cold, babe?" Faith asked, immediately shrugging out of her leather jacket and dropping it over her partner's shoulders. "What's up? You finally going to tell me what's been going on?"

Willow nodded, curling the jacket up closer around her neck. "You've been so patient, Faith. I know it has to be driving you crazy," she acknowledged. "And I don't know anything for sure yet, so I was going to wait to say anything, but… I just can't…"

"Is everything okay? You're not sick or anything, are you?" Faith questioned anxiously, unconsciously pacing.

"No, Faith, sweetie, I'm fine, I swear," Willow said quickly.

"Is it bad?" Faith was biting her lip as she kept walking. "Will, I can take it. Whatever it is…"

Willow held her breath for a moment, closing her eyes as she blurted it out, "I'm pregnant." There was a long pause and she couldn't hear Faith's pacing anymore. "Well, I might be. I don't know for sure, but all the signs seem to indicate…"

"Pregnant?" Faith interjected, her voice hoarse and low. "You're…pregnant? Oh my God…"

"_Might_ be pregnant," Willow repeated without opening her eyes. "Faith, what are you thinking here?"

Faith looked up at her from her spot leaning against the brick wall of the pizzeria. Willow was frozen, arms wrapped around herself inside Faith's jacket. "Babe, Will, look at me," she said, pushing herself up off the wall and hurriedly pulling the witch into her arms. She waited for the green eyes to open before she spoke again. "Willow, no matter what, I'm right here and I'm crazy about you and holy shit another kid…"

"You're rambling like I do," Willow commented with a laugh, one hand coming up to play restlessly with the collar of Faith's shirt. "Are you okay with this? I mean, I know Jack's only one, and we _just_ got married, and we hadn't talked about having another kid, but Jack's…"

"Jack's perfect," Faith said. "And Joy's just as… Oh God, we've got to tell them…"

"We don't have to tell them anything yet, Faith," Willow reassured her, hand slipping up over the Slayer's neck and her fingers trailing over her lover's face. "We don't know anything yet."

"When? When will we know?" Faith questioned breathlessly.

Willow laughed, relieved, and she hugged her Slayer tightly. "Monday."

"Jeez, that's forever! There's no faster way?" Faith demanded impatiently.

"Does that mean you're excited? Or okay with this? I'll take okay with this," Willow said, her voice quick and with an edge of anxiety. "Faith…"

"Babe, of course I'm okay with this!" Faith cut her off. "It's you and me and another kid." Her eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep breath. "We can do this. Another one. Three kids. Oh shit."

"That's what you always say," Willow said, leaning her head against Faith's chest. "It kind of makes me feel better. I'm going to take that as a good sign. 'Oh shit' is better than 'how could this happen' or 'I'm out of here.'"

"Shut up," Faith interrupted her again. "I'm not ever going to say that," she promised earnestly. "Will, maybe it happened, maybe it didn't, but I'm not ever out of here. I'm not trying to get out of here." She rested her head against Willow's as it was buried in her chest. "I'm glad you told me. Finally."

"I didn't even realize what was happening. Buffy noticed my being all twitchy yesterday and she thought we were trying to hide it again," Willow said. "But it fits. I've been nauseous for days, my back hurts, I can't get comfortable, my sense of smell is all sensitive, and I'm late. I just didn't even think that it might be a baby until she said something yesterday."

"You were at the doctor this morning?" Faith checked.

Willow nodded. "Blood test results will be back on Monday. And Xander reminded me that I can check magically too, if you want me to."

"Do both?" Faith requested, voice hoarse. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to concentrate on anything else now."

"I know! It's been driving me crazy since Buffy mentioned it."

Faith leaned back to look down at her. "But you want it, right? Another kid…with me?"

Willow nodded against her, pressing a kiss over the v-neck of Faith's t-shirt. "Yes, Faith. I'm certainly not having children with anyone else."

"No way," the Slayer growled protectively, pulling the witch in tighter against her.

Willow sighed happily and melted against her wife. "Have I ever told you how hot you being all growl-y is? Because it is."

Faith grinned proudly and with not just a little bit of smugness. "I think I've heard you mention it once or twice. Glad it still works for you."

"Don't be mad if I tell you that I'm actually really relieved," Willow confessed. "I wasn't sure how you would take the idea of having another kid."

Faith considered, shrugging her shoulders. "I know we never really talked about having more, and even when we decided to have Jack it was kind of sudden, but however many kids you want, I'm there. If you want to adopt more, or have more, or whatever you want, okay?"

Willow leaned back to look up at the Slayer, smiling peacefully. "Thank you, Faith." She shivered again and suddenly realized that the sun had completely sunk behind the horizon. "I bet our pizza's cold," she commented.

"Wait, pregnant chicks can eat pizza, right?" Faith asked as it occurred to her. "Do we need to get you something else?"

"I'm only _possibly_ a pregnant chick," Willow reminded her with a smile. "And even if I am, I can still eat pizza."

Faith nodded, shuffling her feet. "Sorry, you know how I was when you were knocked up with Jack," she apologized. "I'll cool it until we know for sure, at least."

"I know it's just because you care," Willow said, lifting onto her toes to kiss her softly. "It's hot too."

Faith blinked, grinning. "_That's_ why you kissed me like that at the gym!" she realized, squeezing Willow's sides. "And why Buffy's been grinning like that all day! And you were going to wait until Monday? I'd have been freaking out by then!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" Willow said, sliding both arms around Faith's neck and kissing her again. "I didn't mean to make you freak out, I just didn't want to say anything if it turned out to be nothing."

"But B acting like that and you being all jumpy, I'd have figured you two were running around behind my back or something insane!" Faith protested, rolling her eyes. "Me and B definitely would have been fighting by tomorrow for sure if I didn't know!"

"Me and Buffy? Come on, Faith! As much as I do love Buffy, _you're _my Slayer," Willow laughed. "But she is watching our kids, so we should probably get back inside and see which one's on the ceiling."

Faith snagged her hand before they made it to the doors, the Slayer shifting Willow to the side with both hands on her hips and spinning her to plant the witch against the brick with her own body as she stole a deep, slow, passionate kiss. Willow whimpered as Faith's chest pushed against hers, the brunette's kiss keeping her in place as solidly as though Faith's hands had more than a light grip on the redhead's hips. "Will," Faith breathed into the kiss, capturing her lips again hungrily. "If you're not…we should keep trying," she said, the words broken up by her insatiable need to keep kissing her witch. "I want to get you pregnant."

Willow groaned at that, feeling her heartbeat pounding through her head. "Oh God," she managed to respond, fingers threading through Faith's hair as the Slayer's kisses shifted to her neck. "Faith." There was no response but the swipe of a hot tongue across her pounding pulse. "We can," she agreed breathlessly, struggling to keep her eyes open under Faith's passion-filled attention. "Just not here!" she gasped pleadingly, sure that she wouldn't be able to resist much longer. Faith backed off slowly, both breathing hard. Willow held her partner close, not sure she'd be able to stay standing without Faith's strength pressing her against the wall. "You're too good at that," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"What?" Faith asked, her own voice punctuated by gasps.

"Making me completely forget where we are," Willow said, combing her fingers through brown waves. "Making me want to let you do anything you want."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Faith said, undeniably smug, and she stole another brief kiss until Willow pushed her back and held her at arm's length.

"Stop that! We're not going to get caught in the backseat by Buffy!" Willow protested. "You know that's what would happen too!"

Faith nodded, both hands reaching up to steady Willow as she noticed the witch's trembling elbows. "Fine, we won't screw in the car, but you need to do that magic test, whatever, when we get home, okay? I can't stand not knowing."

"Okay," Willow agreed, giggling. "We weren't _really_ just making out against the side of a building, were we? We've got kids!"

Faith shrugged, smirking. "That doesn't seem to stop us," she said. "I can't help it that you're hot. And you maybe carrying my baby doesn't make keeping my hands off any easier." She took a deep breath. "I've got it under control now, though," she promised. "Come on, let's get you inside." She held one arm out to coax her, sighing when the redhead slid into place beneath her arm.

"Thanks for the jacket," Willow whispered as they entered the restaurant and she started to slip it off.

"It looks good on you," Faith answered, holding it on her back. Leaning in as they reached the dining room, she whispered, "It'll look great on the floor later."

Willow shivered helplessly as Faith held the chair for her, the others at the table still chattering. Buffy gave the witch a knowing smirk from across the table. "Good talk?" she asked, genuinely concerned even as she rolled her eyes.

"You have _no_ idea," Willow said under her breath, knowing that Buffy would hear her.

"That's enough," the blonde said quickly, lifting one hand to stop anything further. "Believe me, I've got the message!"

Faith smirked, draping one arm across the back of Willow's chair. "Better be glad she told me or I'd've been kicking your ass tomorrow," she said before diving right back into the sports conversation with the dads at the table.

Buffy frowned, confused. "Did I miss something?"

"You don't want to know," Willow said, rolling her eyes. "Believe me." She couldn't help the pleased smile from overwhelming her face, though. Jack clapped his hands at his mother and she gave him a giddy laugh. "Hey, baby boy! I love you so much!" she said, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

"Mommy!" he yelped, pushing her off of him. "Stop!"

"I can't stop! I'm just crazy about you, Jackie-boy!" She was overwhelmed with a rush of affection and love for her family, unable to help herself. She settled for a long squeeze around his chest before she let him push her off. Faith's hand rubbed her shoulder, but the Slayer was still caught up in talking basketball with the men. "Did you have fun at your sister's game?"

"Yeah! Joy!" he said, his toothy grin wide.

"She dribbled a lot, didn't she?" Willow agreed. "And she shot too, didn't she, bub?"

"Yeah! Joy!" Jack declared again. The little boy idolized his older sister and made no secret of it. It embarrassed Joy's mature ten year old sensibilities sometimes, but everyone else in their Scooby family found it adorable.

Faith's thumb rolled over the top of her shoulder, the move completely unconscious on the Slayer's part, but that didn't diminish Willow's reaction to the touch. The redhead leaned toward her wife unconsciously, her eyelids fluttering as she sucked in a sharp breath. Buffy laughed into her soda and the witch recognized what she was doing, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Not saying anything," Buffy denied, kicking Willow's leg lightly under the table. "You've got it bad, girl."

"That's not bad for almost sixteen years worth of relationship," Willow answered, matching her friend's smile with her own.

"And with Faith," Buffy teased, unable to resist.

"Hey," Willow protested. "Even you can't deny she's hot! I saw how you two were in high school! Everyone did!"

"I sure did!" Xander chimed in before stuffing his mouth with pizza and twisting to avoid Buffy's slug to the arm.

Willow grinned in victory and Buffy glared at them both. "Fine," the blonde said. "I'll admit she's hot, okay?" This didn't get the reaction she was expecting from the redhead, the witch narrowing her eyes in sudden annoyance. "What? I said she was hot!" Buffy said, confused.

"She's mine!" Willow stated flatly, one hand dropping possessively onto an oblivious Faith's knee. "Back off!"

"Willow!" Buffy chided her, the sharp tone getting Faith's attention.

"Hey, what's up?" the brunette questioned, looking between the two. "Will?"

The witch shook her head, grimacing. "Sorry, Buffy. I don't know…sorry."

"No problem, but are you okay?" There was a frown on the Slayer's face and she offered a hand across the table.

Willow took it, squeezing her friend's fingers lightly. "I'm not sure what that was. I know there's nothing going on with you and Faith."

"Wait, _what_?" Faith asked. "What's with the baby making each of us think the other one is doing something with B?"

"What?" Buffy asked, blinking at the couple with wide eyes. "No. Just no!" She shook her head rapidly. "Those hormones are messing with your brains! Are we sure Faith isn't crazy with pregnancy too?"

"Not possible," Faith said with a grimace. "Right?" she checked with Willow, relieved when the witch nodded. "So the hormones _might_ be messing with her." She pointed at the redhead with a grin.

"Hormones? What are you guys talking about?" Dawn chimed in, a gleeful grin already growing on her face. "Are we having a new addition to the family?"

"Nothing we know of unless you've got something you need to tell us," Buffy spoke up to deflect the attention from Willow and Faith. The younger Summers balked under a narrowed eyed glare from her sister and Buffy smirked. "I still got it."

"Yippee for you," Faith said dryly, checking her watch. "I think it's time we were getting home," she said, avoiding the term bedtime to keep Jack from protesting in the restaurant. Getting home proved how tired the little boy was, Faith lifting him, limp and unresisting, from his car seat. Joy insisted that she wasn't tired, but the way she slumped on the couch made it clear that it wouldn't take long before she was unconscious like her brother.

Faith put Jack down to bed and found Willow in the kitchen when she returned to the ground floor. "He's out," she said as she entered, taking the beer Willow offered. "Wait, you're not drinking, right?"

"No, Faith, I'm not drinking," Willow said, smiling over her shoulder as she focused on something she was mixing in the sink.

"So, what's that?" Faith wandered closer, nose wrinkling as she caught the smell. "Ugh, it smells nasty, babe! Can we crack a window?" Willow laughed and the Slayer leaned over her to shove the window behind the sink up. Willow didn't move as Faith dropped back onto flat feet and the Slayer rested one hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked, noticing Willow's closed eyes and unsteady breathing. "Hey, you smell good. How do you do that when all this magic stuff stinks so bad?"

Willow stopped her words with a hand on her lips, the other hand gripping the edge of the sink tightly. "Faith, I know you're nervous, and it's really unbelievably cute, actually, but I need you to take a step back," Willow said slowly, the words uttered on deep breaths.

Faith blinked, stung. "What did I do?" she asked, stepping back obediently. "I can go…" she offered reluctantly as she backed away.

Willow grabbed her hands quickly, stopping her. "That's not what I meant. I'm a little…frustrated from earlier and you were up against my back and it's just a little…distracting."

"You're still hot for me," Faith realized. "Okay, I can deal with that." She gestured to the counter next to the sink. "If I sit there is it going to be distracting? I wanna watch whatever you're going to do. I get it if you want me to leave, though…"

"No, sit there, please," Willow requested, nerves starting to overwhelm her. A few more simple steps and she would know if she was carrying their baby.

Faith hopped silently onto the counter, her shoes thumping against the cabinet doors. Willow's hand reached over and rested on top of her knee and the Slayer took it without speaking. _Whatever it says, I love you._ Faith's thoughts were clear in her mind as she concentrated, and Willow broke a smile.

"I love you too," she whispered, dropping the last ingredient into the bowl in the sink. They both had to look away when the mixture started sparking and smoking.

"Was that it?" Faith questioned around coughs. "What does that mean?"

Willow waved the smoke away with her free hand, shaking her head. "Not done." She smiled nervously. "Want to help?"

Faith sat up straighter, nodding. "Sure. What do I gotta do?" Willow didn't answer, just took the hand she was holding and pulling it through the smoke to dip two fingers in the mixture she'd made. "Feels weird," Faith said, rolling the potion between fingers and thumb. "What do I do with it?" Still without speaking, Willow lifted the hem of her shirt and guided Faith's hand to her stomach. They both felt the spark and Willow's eyes slammed closed. Faith immediately tried to move her hand off, but Willow held her in place.

"Stay there," she whispered, brow furrowing in concentration. Faith watched silently, feeling the palm of her hand heat up against Willow's abdomen, but she forced herself not to move. The heat faded gradually and Willow was breathing hard as her eyes opened. "You can move it."

Faith's other hand stroked through red hair gently. "Are you okay?" she checked.

"We're about to find out," Willow said, leaning into Faith. "You look," she requested, hiding her face in her partner's neck.

"What am I looking for?" Faith asked, keeping her voice low.

Willow chuckled lightly. "You'll know."

Faith turned her hand over slowly and the gasp gave Willow her answer.


	15. Chapter 15

Promised an early/earlier update this week - hope you guys like it!

* * *

Willow groaned as she rolled over, the light from the hall drawing her attention as Faith stumbled into their bedroom. It wasn't like the Slayer to be noisy, especially when she was sneaking in after three in the morning, and the redhead sat up. "What's wrong?" Willow asked, keeping her voice down while one hand unconsciously rubbed her swollen baby belly. "Are you okay?"

Faith nodded, one hand over her mouth as she tried to restrain a laugh. "I think I'm a lot drunk, babe," she confessed. "Sorry."

Willow clicked on the lamp and the brunette hissed, covering her eyes rapidly. "You're drunk?" Willow questioned in surprise.

"Are you mad?" Faith asked, distractedly trying to kick her boots off while she walked and stumbling into the wall.

"You didn't invite me," Willow said, petulance surprising the Slayer. "I can't drink, but you still could have asked me!"

"Good things happen when we drink together," Faith mused, speech slurred just slightly. "Should have called you. Then maybe we'd be taking each other's clothes off instead of my stupid boot being stuck."

Willow watched Faith kick one foot in an attempt to make her boot dislodge, but the hopeless tangle of knots made it clear that the effort was futile. "Sit down," Willow directed impatiently, grumbling under her breath as she slid slowly out of bed and went to work on the Slayer's footwear.

Her wife was obviously annoyed and Faith pushed her hair back from her face as she tried to regain control of herself. "Will…" She jumped as there was a sudden pain on her ankle and her foot jerked from Willow's hands. "Oww!"

"What?" Willow asked, catching the booted foot again before she accidentally got kicked in the face. There was no way she wanted to explain that one to Buffy or Xander. "What hurts?"

"My ankle," Faith said, frowning in confusion as she leaned forward to rub it through the boot and sock.

"Did you fall down?" Willow asked, her annoyance starting to become concern. "Be still," she ordered when Faith stubbornly resumed trying to kick her footwear off. Willow's hands were gentle as she finished with the knots and carefully opened the boot and guided it off. "There's a bandage," Willow said, frowning up at her wife but only getting an oblivious look in response. "What did you do?"

"I don't know!" Faith said, shrugging. One hand reached for the taped edge, but Willow slapped her hands away and slowly peeled the bandage back herself.

"Oh my God!" Her jaw dropped. "You got a tattoo!" Willow yelped, giggling after a moment.

Faith slapped one hand unconsciously to her armband before she realized the truth. "What? What is it?"

Willow jumped up to get the bedroom light, scurrying back to check it more closely. "It definitely looks like…" She was too close to laughing again to finish the statement, but her eyes were amused as she looked up at Faith from between her knees.

"Willow!" Faith whined sharply. "What is it?"

"It most definitely looks like you have a tree on your ankle," Willow informed her smugly, reaching down tentatively to touch just above it.

The Slayer frowned, confused. "A tree? Why the hell would I get a tree tattooed on my foot?"

"It's a Willow tree," the redhead told her, voice softer.

Faith blinked, curling her right leg up beside her on the bed so she could get a look at the outside of her ankle. Sure enough, there was what was unmistakably a Willow tree on her leg, starting about an inch above the bump of bone on the outside of her ankle with the roots spreading down to the side of her heel. "Holy shit," she said softly. "I got a tattoo." She tried a hopeful smile. "Well, do you like it?"

Willow was quiet for a long moment, each second making the tension grow. She sat up clumsily on her knees and leaned forward to drag the tip of her finger around the new mark on her partner's skin. "It's beautiful," she finally whispered, lifting an eyebrow at Faith as she looked up at her. "Why did you get it, though?"

The Slayer shook her head. "I do not remember," she admitted. "B was there, I think. It's fuzzy."

Willow sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, but we're talking to your drinking buddies tomorrow and figuring out what the hell happened tonight."

"Yeah," Faith agreed hoarsely. Willow's hands stripped off her left boot and the Slayer stretched slowly, hesitant to move. "Should I stay or…"

"Get in there," Willow ordered impatiently, shoving Faith back onto the mattress and leaving the Slayer to shimmy out of her jeans and into some shorts while she went to turn off the lights. "I _should_ make you sleep on the couch, waking me up at three in the morning because you went out and got drunk without me," she muttered as she stalked back to the bed and let Faith pull her back against herself.

The Slayer pressed a kiss behind her ear, but the redhead swatted the arm at her waist. "I don't think so! You don't get smooches for getting drunk and getting a tattoo!" she denied in a hissing whisper.

"But it's a tattoo of you, basically," Faith reasoned, trying again to land a kiss. "It's sweet, right?"

Willow couldn't help snuggling back against her wife at the reminder, Faith's arms squeezing her gently, slipping one hand gingerly under the witch's t-shirt to stroke over their baby. "It is sweet," she acknowledged. "But you'd get more points for it if you hadn't gotten it because of a drunk dare with Buffy." She smiled. "Although, if you managed to get her to get a tattoo, that gets you some points back." Faith smiled against her neck, lips moving down toward her shoulder. "Not sexy points," Willow denied her flatly, drawing a frustrated sigh from Faith.

"Fine," the Slayer groused. "We'll figure out what happened tomorrow and maybe you'll owe me."

"Maybe," Willow acknowledged. "If so, you know I'm good for it. Now, go to sleep. And you're on diapers tomorrow."

"Fine," Faith said again, grateful that the punishment wasn't too bad. "Night Will. I really did miss you tonight."

"I missed you too," Willow said, relaxing back against her partner and letting her eyes close.

Faith was jerked out of sleep by little knees in her side, her son catapulting himself into the bed. "Oof, Jack, why?" she grunted, rolling onto her back as he climbed onto her stomach, his knees on her ribcage.

"Mama!" the little boy yelped. "Missed you!"

"I missed you too, bub," Faith said, breath knocked out as he bounced on her chest again. She patted his little butt gently. "You eat good at dinner last night? What did Mommy make?"

"Skettios!" Jack said happily. Spaghettio's were his favorites.

"Is your sister up?" Willow stirred beside her and rolled over to put her head on Faith's shoulder, her arm sliding over her wife's waist right behind their son while her leg curled over Faith's knee.

Jack nodded, grinning. "School."

"You two want breakfast?" Willow asked sleepily. "Because Mama would be happy to make it for you, wouldn't you, babe?" Her hand scratched lightly at the Slayer's tight stomach. She tilted her head up to look at Faith, checking on her.

"Yeah, whatever you want, kiddo," Faith agreed. "Mommy, you want something special?"

Willow smiled, shaking her head. "Just find whoever you were with last night and get them here," she said.

Faith sighed, her hopes for getting off lightly disappearing. "Okay," she agreed, kissing the witch gently on the forehead. "Ready to eat, buddy?"

His answer was a bounce off of her, bouncing once more on the bed before he hopped to the floor. He made an excited 'ooh' noise as she sat up and put her feet on the floor. His hand slapped to her new tattoo and she suppressed a groan at the sudden twinge of pain. "Wha'sat?" he asked cheerfully. "Drawring?"

Willow giggled behind her and Faith rolled her eyes over her shoulder. "It's kind of like a drawing, Jackie-boy. But it doesn't come off. Do you like it?"

He considered, scooting closer on his knees to look at the tree on his mother's ankle. "Cool," he declared, nodding. "Whas it?"

"It's a Willow tree," Faith told him, leaning over to look at it herself.

"Mommy?" Jack asked, blinking up at the redhead as she slid over into his sight.

Faith nodded, her head next to his. "Just like Mommy."

Willow watched their matching curly brown heads lovingly, adoring their son and the many things he had in common with Faith. He had the Slayer's fearlessness and a lot of her temperament. Faith had been afraid of their kids being like her, but Joy idolized Faith and Willow was glad that their son had gotten so much from her partner. "Cool," Jack declared again. "Hungry, Mama!"

"Okay, okay, we're going," Faith said, pushing herself up. "I'll make some calls too."

Willow smirked to herself as she laid back in the bed. "Thank you," she called as her Slayer followed their son out of the room. She caught a glimpse of Faith's new leg art and was unable to stop a smile. Drunk or not, she did find the idea that Faith had something that directly depicted her permanently in her skin endearing. Her wife had never been very vocally affectionate and she honestly liked that about Faith. This gesture was a much more Faith-like thing to do. And she couldn't help appreciating it.

She took a few more minutes to wallow in bed, rolling into Faith's half of the bed and burying her face in her partner's pillow. The sounds of Faith and Joy talking drifted up the stairs and through the open door, Jack's laughter punctuating the morning and drawing a smile to her lips. Her family was amazing. Her curiosity about the night before couldn't be quelled though, and she sat up with a sigh.

Joy gave her a grin as the redhead entered the kitchen. "Mom, can I get a tattoo too?" she asked immediately.

"Absolutely not," Willow answered flatly, taking a seat at the table.

"Mama's got one!" Joy protested. "More than one now!"

"Mama's got a lot of explaining to do about that," Willow said, giving her daughter an arch look. "Now, you're going to miss the bus. And you're too young to get a tattoo. We can talk about this later. Like in seven years when you're eighteen." Faith had gotten her first tattoo at younger than eighteen but there was no way she was going to mention that to their daughter.

Joy's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "Fine."

Faith put a plate down in front of Willow as she took the seat beside her. "Thank you." Willow gave her a smile. "This is my favorite," she said, looking down at her omelet. "Very nice, babe, but I'm still going to need to talk to whoever you were with last night." She cut into her omelet with a smile for the plate and started eating.

"Last night? What happened last night?" Joy asked curiously, forgetting about her desire for a tattoo for the prospect of drama. "Mama, what did you do?"

"Got a tattoo," Faith answered quickly.

"And what else?" Joy asked cheerfully, glancing between her parents.

Willow took a sip of her coffee while Faith stayed silent. "She doesn't remember," the witch answered finally. "That's why you shouldn't get drunk."

Joy rolled her eyes just as the school bus honked from the curb. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she agreed, slurping the last of the milk from her cereal bowl and rushing to put it in the dishwasher before she grabbed her backpack and dashed out the door with a called 'goodbye' over her shoulder.

"You didn't have to tell her that," Faith commented. "Now she's going to think I'm a drunk."

"You're not a drunk," Willow disagreed with an eye roll. "She's not going to think that. You're as close to perfect as possible for her. She wants to be just like you."

Faith nodded, sighing. "So it's really not great that I got a drunk tattoo last night."

"Maybe not, but it's done now so the best we can do is talk to her about it," Willow reasoned. "She's a good kid, Faith. Because you're a good parent." She took another sip of her coffee and stole the front section from the newspaper. "Now, what time are your little cohorts getting here?" she asked as she flipped it open and started to read.

Faith picked up the sports section and glanced at the witch. Willow was too calm and it unnerved her. "Um, B said she'd round everybody up and get them here in half an hour?" she said, tone making it sound like a question.

"Good. Thank you, sweetie."

Willow didn't look up from her paper and Faith leaned back into her seat. It took her a few minutes for the silence to be stifling and she sat forward again. "Will, are we okay?" she asked hesitantly. "Cause you're not really looking at me, and…"

"We're fine," Willow said, still not moving her eyes from the newspaper.

"Really convincing," Faith sniped, growing frustrated by her partner's short answers. "If you're pissed, just get pissed," she complained.

Willow looked over the edge of her article at her wife. "I'm not pissed," she said simply. "I don't blame you for going out and having fun. I hope you did have fun," she said earnestly. "I'd be pissed if you had somebody else's name tattooed somewhere all of a sudden. But you don't. So I'm not pissed. Would you rather I be pissed?"

Faith considered that, grinning slowly. "Technically it's not your name. It's a tree that happens to share your name."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Unless the Willow suddenly became your favorite tree I think everyone is going to know what that is supposed to mean," she pointed out, watching the Slayer's face for a reaction. "And honestly, babe, if that bothers you, I'm not going to be hurt or offended if you want to get it removed."

Faith stayed quiet for a moment, lifting her right leg into Willow's lap so that they could both see the new tattoo. "Do you want me to get it removed?" Faith asked. "Because I kinda like it."

Willow looked at the tree, smiling softly. "I think it's sweet," she admitted. "And I like it too." She lowered her paper to stroke one hand over Faith's ankle. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not really," Faith said, shrugging. "I need to put some lotion on it so it doesn't fade, though."

"Go get it and I'll do it," Willow offered, giving her partner a smile as Faith grinned at her. The Slayer stole a kiss before she ran off, seemingly suffering no ill effect from her overindulgence. Willow put the paper down on the table and Faith placed her foot back in Willow's lap as she reappeared with a bottle of lotion. "Is the ink going to bleed at all since you were drunk when you got it?"

Faith shrugged, frowning a bit at the thought that her new favorite tree would fade at all. "I guess we'll see, but it looks good so far," she observed, leaning over to look at it. "Maybe I wasn't that drunk when I got it."

Willow arched an eyebrow at her, smirk lingering at the corner of her mouth. "So you might have been sober when you got a tattoo of a Willow tree?"

Faith tried a hopeful grin. "Would that get me any of those sexy points back?" she asked teasingly. "Because it didn't bleed much so it's a pretty fair bet that I hadn't drank much at all before…"

Willow hesitated playfully. "Possibly, but we'll wait for confirmation before I decide," she declared.

"And you're really not pissed?" Faith checked again, unable to help herself.

The redhead sighed, shaking her head. "No! What in our history together makes you think I'm going to get mad because you went out with friends and had a good time? I know I'm pregnant and can't go out, but am I an uptight wife and you just never wanted to tell me?"

"No," Faith said quickly. "You're a sexy as hell wife. But I don't normally go out at night and come home with tattoos."

"We might have a problem if you did," Willow admitted, smirking. "But you don't, so it's no big deal. As long as there's no more I haven't found yet." She was blatantly teasing, and Faith matched her smirk.

"Well, you saw that there's no more on my legs or arms," the brunette said, holding out both arms in demonstration. "That just leaves…"

"Nice try, babe," Willow cut her off, shaking her head. "I'm not groping you at the breakfast table. And Buffy's coming over. She interrupts us enough already without us setting ourselves up for it." She squirted lotion onto Faith's leg and started rubbing it in, palm not staying just over the tattoo, but rubbing the Slayer's calf and foot as well.

"I thought we weren't setting ourselves up to get caught," Faith said, voice hoarser than normal.

"Knock, knock!" Buffy called just then, and loudly from the doorway. It was obvious that she was expecting to be interrupting something, but Willow wouldn't let Faith's foot jerk out of her hands.

"Damn, B! You don't think you could be a little quieter?" Faith grumbled and Willow sent her a look, glancing sideways at where Jack was obliviously devouring his breakfast in his seat. "Sorry," Faith murmured, grimacing as she rubbed her temples.

"Does your head hurt?" Willow asked sympathetically, fingers still trailing over the brunette's leg.

Buffy and several others trooped into the kitchen, the blonde putting a giant bottle of aspirin on the table with a flourish before she leaned over to tickle and play with her nephew. "I've brought something to help with that. How's my little man this morning?"

"Good!" he squealed, squirming away from her and giggling.

Willow couldn't help smiling as she watched her best friend interact with her son, the blonde always playful and affectionate with him. It was something both of their children had - the capability of charming everyone they met. It was a trait she was sure they'd gotten from Faith.

"I brought your Aunt Dawn to play with you," Buffy announced, grinning. "Your Mama has some 'splaining to do, so you two can go play outside with Bones, right?" The Slayer did her best Ricky Ricardo voice and Willow shook her head with a smile.

"Bones is slow!" Jack told her even as he climbed out of his chair.

"Bones is very old," Willow corrected him gently. "But we love him, don't we?"

"Yeah!" Jack yelped loudly, triggering a grimace from the rest of the hung-over women. Willow couldn't help rolling her eyes and Faith poked her with a toe as she noticed.

"Go play quiet outside, bub. Okay?" Faith requested, one hand rubbing at her temples. "Thank you, Dawn," she added as the younger Summers sister swooped Jack up and made him shriek with laughter again.

"Yes, thank you," Willow agreed, giving her friend a smile as Dawn pulled the little boy over her shoulder and marched them out the door, the old dog following them slowly. "Ladies," she invited the others to sit, not bothering to take Faith's foot out of her lap.

Faith's eyes surveyed the crowd and the chairs around the table and the number of Slayers in her kitchen and sighed. "Babe, we're short chairs even if B pulls in the seats from the dining room," she said gruffly, picking up her foot from Willow's grip. "Come here." Willow hesitated, leaning forward in her seat. Normally she didn't have a problem with sitting on Faith, but in front of her partner's compatriots and drinking buddies she was hesitant, not wanting to do anything to mess with Faith's tough reputation. "Seriously," Faith confirmed, leaning back in her seat and slapping the tops of her legs. "You can't hit me as hard from here," she said teasingly.

Willow narrowed her eyes down at her partner, but didn't deny it. "Fine, let's get this started, then."

"Can we start with the tattoo?" Buffy asked much too cheerfully.

"Start with whatever happened first," Willow directed, forcing herself not to react when Faith's hands settled on her lower back and knee. She'd decide whether she could melt or not after she'd heard the story.

* * *

"Are any of you up for doing something after we finish here?" one of the girls asked from behind Faith, three of them crawling through a short sewage pipe.

"Let's just get finished here," Faith proposed, squinting as she tried to remember where she was supposed to turn. Buffy had given her directions for a pinch maneuver to keep the demon from getting away, but she couldn't think if they should be going right or down at the next juncture. There was only a right turn available, and she led her team in that direction.

The pipe was only about five feet tall, so they were all having to hunch as they walked, moving slowly to keep the water sloshing around their feet from giving them away. They'd made it a few yards down the latest tunnel when Buffy's signal came in the form of a sharp whistle and Faith and her girls rushed in. The fight was quick but brutal, numbers giving them the advantage. The elder Slayers, Buffy and Faith, hung back to oversee the battle, a test of sorts for some of their younger members. Only one even got injured, but it was a flesh wound and she declared that she was up for any kind of celebrating the others wanted to do.

"Whatever you want," Buffy agreed with a grin as they climbed their way out of the sewers. "Faith, you gotta head home?"

"No, you have to come!" one of the younger girls protested immediately, voice supported by others. Faith had always been popular with the girls. "Please?"

Faith gave them considering looks and got several pleading glances from the group. "Fine. For a while at least." She would never admit to being whipped, and beat anyone who said it, but it was no secret that she genuinely enjoyed her wife's company. "What do you guys want to do?"

In a unison that had to have been practiced, they declared, "Tattoos!"

* * *

"See, babe? Not my idea!" Faith said smugly. "_And _I was sober!"

"Story's not done yet," Willow answered back calmly, though she did cover Faith's hand on her knee with both one of her own and drag it up her leg to hold it as she let herself lean back into the hand on her hip.

* * *

Three young Slayers were under the needle, the others wandering around and trying to pick out their own designs. Buffy thumped her counterpart Slayer on the arm just over her armband as she sidled up beside her friend while Faith was perusing the displays on the wall. "Thinking about getting another one?" she asked, smirk audible in her voice.

Faith shrugged. "Dunno." She glanced down at the piece on her arm, crossing her arms to reach it with her other hand and letting her fingers drag over the marked skin. "You got something you want to get?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she looked sideways at Buffy.

"No," Buffy denied easily. "I've never really had anything I liked well enough to have it on me forever," she said, looking down at herself. "What about you? What's this about?" she asked, poking Faith's tattoo with a pair of fingers.

Faith laughed, looking down at the familiar marks. "Oh, I was young when I got this. It was mostly for hotness' sake."

"Makes sense," Buffy said, joining her fellow Slayer's laughter. "I guess it worked too. I mean, you did marry a hottie."

"Right?" Faith agreed, grinning. "So, you've never wanted one?"

"Nope," Buffy confirmed again. "I figure I was enough trouble for my parents with the Slayer thing, any more rebellion and I don't think Mom could have handled it."

"You're old enough to decide for yourself now," Faith reminded her. "If there's something you want to get, I'll hold your hand," she offered with a smirk.

The blonde rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, thanks. You want to get a nice 'I love Willow' somewhere? I'm sure your old lady'll love it."

Faith rolled her eyes also, smirking. "Please," she denied. "I'm not that big of an old married lady, am I? And I'd be happy to tell Will you're calling her 'my old lady,'" Faith teased.

"No," Buffy said, smirking. "You're not, actually. You know I just like giving you a hard time." She elbowed the brunette lightly in the side. "You'd worry about me if I didn't say something."

Faith didn't say anything but nodded. Buffy watched her counterpart's face, waiting. "Hey, what if I did get a tattoo for Will?" the dark-haired Slayer asked after a few moments of consideration. "Think she'd flip out?"

Buffy shook her head, crossing her arms as she surveyed the wall of designs. "No, but what are you going to get? You're not the type for big romantic gestures." She glanced speculatively at her friend. "But I guess getting a tattoo that symbolizes Willow is something I could see you doing more than flowers and fancy dinner," she admitted. "But nothing really overt. I can't see her name on your shoulder or anything."

"No, not that," Faith mused, scanning the wall of designs. "It's probably a dumb idea anyway."

Buffy pursed her lips, determined to find something now that Faith had brought it up. She murmured something noncommittal and wandered off to search. She knew immediately when she'd found it, the Willow tree in grayscale jumping out at her off the page. Faith was talking to one of their girls, surveying the younger Slayer's new tattoo, but Buffy dragged her out of the conversation without caring. "I found it," she declared, pushing the book into Faith's hands. "This is what you should get. It's obvious if you know you and Will, but no one on the street would think anything of it."

Faith blinked down at the drawing, brows drawing together in a frown as she considered it. It was a pretty thing, and like Buffy said, it wouldn't mean a thing to anyone who didn't know her. But it was _pretty_ and that had never really been something she'd felt. She had no doubts about her own attractiveness, but Willow was the first one since Mayor Wilkins to say that she was beautiful. Pretty wasn't something she felt like often, but it didn't bother her. She knew who she was. More importantly, Willow knew who she was and still loved her, still wanted her, still had her children, and had still married her.

And Willow was pretty. She'd seen it even on her first jaunt through Sunnydale. The young nerd that she'd first known was adorable, almost overwhelming in her cuteness. And since then, she'd only become more gorgeous. The woman she was now was the most beautiful person Faith had ever known, inside and out. The tree she was looking at was a perfect representation of her own Willow, even if its prettiness wasn't something she was used to herself.

"I think you're right," Faith said, surprising Buffy. "It's very Will, isn't it?" She glanced at her wife's best friend. "She'll like it, right?"

Buffy grinned. "Are you going to get it?" she crowed. "Faith, she's going to love it!"

* * *

"See? I _was_ sober! Those points are mine!" Faith crowed, pumping a fist in victory. "You _so_ owe me!" she said, not bothering to lower her voice since all of the others in the room had exceptional hearing.

Buffy exchanged glances with the other girls, grimacing. "You really don't remember much from last night, do you?" she asked hesitantly, drawing sharp looks from both Willow and Faith.

"What happened?" Willow asked, eyes narrowing down at her wife.

* * *

Faith put the tray of shots down on the table with a grin, gesturing for the others to take theirs. "Tats have stopped bleeding, time for drinking!" she declared, lifting her glass before she slugged it back. The rest of the group followed her lead and tossed back their drinks.

The crowd of women attracted attention immediately and it only took a few short minutes before a few of the younger girls were on the dance floor with partners. Faith didn't need a partner to dance with, taking her drink onto the floor and enjoying herself, happy to let her hopeful suitors handle keeping her glass refilled.

She was more than tipsy when she returned to their table, even with her Slayer-aided constitution. Buffy and most of the others were still on the floor, but she caught one of the younger Slayers by the arm to steady her as the girl stumbled out of crowd. "Careful there," she cautioned, hauling the other girl into a seat at the table. "How you doing?"

"Oh, I'm okay," the other girl said, having to raise her voice to be heard over the thumping music. "I haven't had that many drinks." She gave her teacher a questioning look. "Are _you_ okay?" She held up three fingers. "How many?"

"Three? Six?" Faith guessed, shaking her head and alternating closing one eye then the other. "You're kind of…swirly right now." She leaned closer to try and fix her fuzzy vision and managed to almost pitch herself out of her chair headfirst.

The other girl jumped from her seat to catch her and took the seat next to the drunken Slayer as a precaution. "Careful there," she said with a laugh, repeating the brunette's warning.

"You did good out there tonight," Faith told her, speaking too loudly for how close they were sitting and the other girl gestured for her to lower her voice with a smile. "Good job!" she continued, almost whispering and drawing the other Slayer's blonde head closer.

"Thank you." She leaned over to breathe it straight into the elder Slayer's ear, hand on her shoulder to steady her.

* * *

"Bull!" Faith interrupted to declare. "There's no way I was letting some girl whisper at me in some club. And _if_ I was, it most definitely wasn't flirting!" She looked up at Willow, shaking her head. "Babe…"

"Faith, shh. It's okay," Willow assured her, smiling calmly and patting her hand gently. "You wouldn't do that."

Buffy grimaced again. "It's not over."

* * *

The conversation had drawn them closer unconsciously, the loud music in the club making it impossible to hear unless you were sitting on top of your audience. Their chairs side by side, Faith was regaling her willing audience with her favorite exploit stories, including finding Joy and the attack that had almost made her late to see Jack's birth, her hands moving expressively as she told her stories.

The others had scattered, some still dancing, while a few had pulled willing partners into dark corners for privacy. The staggering amount of alcohol had made Faith dehydrated and thirsty, and she almost toppled as she slid off her chair. Her companion caught her, hauling the brunette's arm around her shoulder and leading her toward the door.

"Where're we going?" Faith questioned, taking a refreshing breath of cool night air as they made it outside. "That's better."

"You need to get some water and fresh air," her fellow Slayer answered, checking her watch. "And it's late. Your wife is going to be missing you, isn't she?"

Faith blinked, nodding. "You're right!" she declared loudly. "And I missed dinner," she said, the statement making her laugh. "And story time." That announcement made her frown and she scuffed the toe of her boot on the sidewalk. "Shit," she muttered, the fresh air doing wonders for her constitution. "Listen, let's get us some water from the diner up there and I'll get you home," she suggested, grateful to get a nod.

* * *

The story paused and Faith glared at the assembled others. "What's so bad about that?" she wondered. "It's not like Will didn't notice that I was wasted last night when I got home. I took that girl home and went home myself, right?"

"That was one-thirty in the morning," Buffy said slowly. "What time did you get home last night?"

Willow and Faith exchanged glances. "Almost three," Willow answered, though she laced her fingers through Faith's on her leg as she shifted herself on the brunette's lap.

"Will, you know I didn't…" Faith started, frowning at the blonde Slayer.

"I know you didn't," the witch confirmed, kissing her forehead softly. "Buffy, what happened after that?"

Her best friend grimaced again, shrugging almost guiltily. "I don't know. Faith leaving was the last thing I saw."

"I was at the diner, though," one of the others spoke up shyly, raising her hand hesitantly as Faith's glare turned in her direction.

* * *

Faith played absently with the napkin dispenser while they waited on their waters, trying to force the alcohol out of her system through sheer willpower. She didn't really think Willow would have a problem with her going out drinking after work, but it'd been a long while since she'd come in drunk and she didn't want any more of her pregnant wife's wrath than she had to get.

Her drinking buddy was sitting next to her at the counter, leaning forward on her elbows and letting her head hang between her arms. "It smells like cigarettes in here," she complained, still speaking too loudly unconsciously.

"Christ, I want a cigarette," Faith declared suddenly, slapping the pockets of her jacket unconsciously only to find nothing.

* * *

"You smoked?" Willow interjected, voice sharp.

Faith blinked, surprised that the smoking was getting the same sharp reaction as her mysterious tattoo had the night before. "What? No! I don't think so! I don't remember!" she protested. "You'd have smelled it on me, right?"

That reminder seemed to calm the redhead and she nodded. "Okay. That's true. But I'm tired of all this back and forth storytelling," she declared. "There's obviously something that happened that you all think is going to upset me, so just jump to that. No more extensive details."

Her eyes raked across the group in her kitchen and Buffy nodded, giving them a weak smile. "They kissed," a voice said quickly, trying the verbal equivalent of ripping off a bandage in one go.

Faith's jaw dropped at the same time that Willow's eyes widened. "No way in hell!" Faith declared loudly, meeting Willow's eyes as the witch looked down at her. The Slayer's hands tightened where they were, unconsciously holding the redhead in place on her lap. "Willow…"

"Okay, I'm going to need a _few _more details than that," Willow said slowly, her voice remarkably calm.

"Miss Faith pushed her right off and left," someone else chimed in, voice trembling.

Faith let out a deep breath of relief, brown eyes locked on Willow's as she pleaded silently for trust. The witch gave her a small smile and a soft kiss. "Then where were you for another hour?" another voice asked, breaking the couple's stare.

Faith glared harshly, brown eyes surveying the group of Slayers. "Who's this chick that supposedly kissed me?" she questioned instead. She refused to believe that she'd been the one to initiate anything but an ass-kicking. She'd never do that to Willow. "None of you kissed me," she stated confidently after getting eye contact with everyone in the room.

"She's not here," Buffy said. "Didn't want anyone getting turned into a newt," she joked weakly. She bit her lip. "Also, she _might_ be in the hospital with a concussion."

"You hit her?" Willow asked, tone surprised in spite of knowing exactly who her partner was. Of course Faith would knock out someone who'd tried something. She mentally cringed to think about what would have happened if someone had kissed her and Faith had been there.

Buffy lifted a hand slowly. "I might have thrown the first punch," she admitted sheepishly.

"I thought you didn't see past me leaving the bar," Faith accused, eyes narrowed.

"I got to the diner in the aftermath," Buffy said, shrugging. "She was running her mouth. I didn't want Will or Joy to hear anything like that from anyone… I got pissed." Her shoulders were around her ears and she tried a smile. "I know I give Faith a hard time, and I jump to conclusions about you two myself, but Faith has never done anything to hurt you, and what that girl was saying - I know Faith would never do that. So I hit her…"

"If B thought it was my fault I'd be in the hospital too," Faith pointed out reasonably, snagging onto that new hope.

"Faith, honey, you don't have to convince me of anything," Willow said. "I know that you didn't do anything wrong here." She gave her Slayer another soft kiss before she turned her eyes to her best friend. "And I appreciate you defending us, it's actually really sweet, but do you think you should have hit one of your own students?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at the blonde as she shifted closer to Faith and let herself finally relax into Faith's body, the move intended to comfort her partner as much as herself.

Buffy shrugged again. "She was being a bitch," she said candidly. "You're my best friend, Will. And Faith's…well, Faith wasn't there or I'd have been breaking up a fight."

The brunette nodded resolutely, expression serious. "Damn right," she muttered, ignoring the swat to the arm that Willow gave her. "What? I'd beat her ass if I could remember any of this," she insisted. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"You _were _pretty wasted," Buffy said, smiling ruefully as she leaned forward, elbows on her knees.

"And where'd you go after the diner?" one of the younger girls spoke up, unable to stop her curiosity.

Faith was silent, trying to think, and the others watched her impatiently. Willow was struck with a sudden idea and she jumped up from her seat in Faith's lap as swiftly as she could manage. "Stand up," she directed quickly, dragging Faith up by the front of her t-shirt.

"Babe, what?" Faith questioned, surprised by the witch's hands pushing her shirt up her stomach. "Whoa!" she yelped. "We're in the kitchen!"

"And there are people here!" Buffy added her protest loudly, slapping both hands over her eyes.

Willow ignored them both, pushing Faith's shirt up to her ribs as she circled the Slayer. "You got in a fight," Willow declared, poking a bruise on Faith's back. "A tombstone hit you here."

Buffy's eyebrows rose and she stood up to check it while Faith did her best to crane around and see it for herself. "That's what it looks like," Buffy agreed, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Did you hit your head too? Maybe that's why you can't remember much," she suggested.

"Sit down," Willow directed, dropping Faith's shirt to push her back into her chair with both hands on her shoulders.

"Okay, bossy!" Faith said, her smirking smile belying her complaining words. Willow gave her a grin in response and her fingers laced gently into wavy brown hair. Faith hissed helplessly when her lover's fingers found a laceration behind her ear, the scrape already healing thanks to her supernatural abilities. "Okay, so that explains that, right?" she asked, looking up between Willow and Buffy. "I got in a drunk fight and knocked my head."

"You're lucky you didn't get killed," Willow pointed out, tone stern. She'd never doubted Faith's devotion to her, not even in the process of determining what had happened the night before, but the revelation that her partner had been fighting while drunk and come home with no memory of what had happened to her chilled the witch in a heartbeat.

Faith and Buffy exchanged glances, the blonde retreating quickly and dismissing the younger Slayers. "Babe, Willow, nothing happened to me," the brunette started slowly, knowing that the witch wouldn't merely accept her reassurances. "I'm sorry," she said preemptively, seeing Willow's mouth drop open to protest.

"You don't just get to say that!" Willow denied, shaking her head. "I can't lose you, Faith. Not like that. Not in a fight, either, but especially not because you wandered off alone, drunk, and got yourself killed. I just can't lose you." Her voice was deceptively calm, only the faintest edge of anxious hysteria in her tone.

Fortunately, Faith knew her witch _very_ well and knew that she would regret belittling her wife's concern. Willow had lost too many people she loved to be able to laugh it off as a funny story. "Come here," she coaxed, keeping her voice low as she drew the redhead back onto her lap. "I'm right here, Will. I'm not going anywhere. I won't do that to you again, I swear." She leaned her head forward against the witch's arm. "I'll be careful." She leaned back to try a smile. "No more getting drunk unless I'm with you and I'm trying to get lucky, okay?"

Willow couldn't help laughing, Faith's charms working as well as they ever had on her. "Deal." She leaned down for a slow, deep kiss. "But you know you don't have to be drunk to get lucky."

"I know, but sometimes it's fun to be nostalgic," Faith teased, leaning up to take another kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

When the pain started, sudden and sharp in her stomach, Willow didn't even try and get Faith's attention. Shaking her would just waste time. Instead, she simply rolled off the bed and landed with a thud on her back. Faith shot up, eyes scanning the darkness but finding no trace of her partner. "Will," she called. "Willow!"

The witch released a groan, curling in on herself as much as she could, and Faith's head popped over the side of the bed. "Faith," Willow moaned pitifully. "Something's wrong."

The Slayer was out of the bed in a flash, but she hesitated to touch her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"It hurts," Willow groaned, pleading. "Hospital."

Though her first instinct was to pick Willow up and run her to the hospital herself, Faith managed to keep herself under control and dialed an ambulance instead. Clicking the phone off, she dialed again, Buffy's house this time. "B, I need you over here. Will's hurt or something and there's an ambulance coming, but I need you to stay with the kids."

Buffy had obviously been asleep when the phone rang, but she responded admirably and assured her harried counterpart that she was on her way. The blonde came in without knocking and joined Faith on the floor with Willow. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts!" Willow repeated through gritted teeth. "The baby."

Fortunately, the EMTs were quick on Buffy's heels and they pushed both of the anxious Slayers out of their way while they went to work on Willow, questioning her about the source and duration of the pain and ignoring the other two. Buffy held an anxious Faith back as they got the witch onto a gurney and down the stairs.

"I know you're going with her, so call me as soon as you know anything," Buffy ordered sternly. "Okay, Faith? The _minute_ you hear something, you call me." Faith was staring after the doctors and Buffy shook her. "Nod, Faith. I need you to nod or something, okay?" Faith nodded dully, pushing lightly against Buffy's grip on her arms. "She's going to be okay, Faith. Willow's stronger than either of us," she promised, trying to be reassuring. "She married you, didn't she? She's the strongest woman in the world."

Faith laughed, but her expression was frozen. "Buffy…"

"Don't think like that," the blonde advised, knowing what was going through her mind. "They're both going to be okay. You've got to go, though. She needs you."

Faith took off like a shot out of her room and down the stairs in pursuit of the gurney, climbing in and squeezing into the space beside her wife. "B's right, babe. You're the strongest person I know. You can do this! Whatever's happening, you can beat it." She didn't even know if Willow could hear her, but saying it made her feel better, so she did it. She prided herself on being strong, someone to be counted on, someone _Willow_ could count on, but sitting in the back of the ambulance with her, she'd never felt more helpless or useless in her life. She had strength enough to fight demons but she couldn't do anything to help her wife and her child.

Willow was taken straight into an exam room, Faith keeping a steady grip on her hand while the doctors examined the unconscious witch. It didn't take long before they had stabilized her, but Faith found herself entirely unable to relax. "Doc, you gotta tell me something," she pleaded while they were watching the ultrasound monitor anxiously. "How are they doing?"

"I'm afraid she's losing blood," one of the doctors said from the bedside, not looking up from his examination. "Did something happen?"

Faith shook her head. "No. We were asleep but she woke up and said that it hurt. What's wrong with her?"

"She's bleeding," he repeated. "But stable."

"And the baby?" Faith demanded, squeezing her fists at her sides.

He could just meet her eyes and shrug. "We're doing everything we can."

"Do more," she insisted harshly. "They need blood, take mine." She stuck one arm out firmly, followed quickly by the other. "Hell, whatever they need, take mine. They have to live." Her phone rang in her pocket and she spared a split second to glance at the ID. Xander. She'd been expecting Buffy, but it appeared the news had spread some. She didn't answer it, though. She couldn't spare the attention.

"You should answer that," the doctor advised. "Your wife and daughter…"

"Daughter?" Faith breathed, shocked. "It's a girl?"

He frowned. "You didn't know? You're having a daughter." He turned a monitor so she could see it. "Here." He pointed out the baby on the screen, the flutter of her tiny, rapid heartbeat loud as thunder in the Slayer's head.

"Hope," Faith whispered, not blinking as she stared at the screen. "You have to…"

"We're doing everything we can," he interjected. "I know it's difficult, but all you can do is wait, I'm afraid."

Faith shook her head. "That's not what I do, Doc." She swallowed hard. "I'm not sure I can just sit here and do nothing while they're struggling."

"We're doing everything we can," he repeated his promise earnestly. "I'll tell you if there's any change." He was unmistakably shifting her out of the room, but Faith resisted for a moment before something changed and he had to bolt back to Willow's side. "She's crashing. We've got to get her into an OR _now_!"

Faith wasn't allowed anywhere near the operating room and was left pacing the exam room, feeling like nothing so much as a caged animal. She was used to action, making the life and death decisions for herself, not waiting for news on the lives of her wife and daughter.

Holy shit. They were having another daughter. Hope. Joy, Jack, and Hope. Thinking of the other children, at home asleep while their mother was bleeding, in pain, instantly stole her strength and she slumped into a seat. She looked up when someone entered, surprised to see Xander.

"How's Will?"

"B call you?" Faith asked hoarsely, head dropping again.

He nodded, moving to sit beside her. One hand touched her shoulder lightly and he took a deep breath. "She's with the kids at your house, but she, _we_ didn't want you to be here alone just waiting." He hesitated to speak again, waiting for the Slayer to say something.

"She's bleeding." Faith's eyes were locked on her hands wringing between her knees. "They said she was stable, but the baby… and then they said she was crashing and they're in surgery."

Xander was silent, his chest tight with his own fear for his oldest friend. "Willow's strong," he offered finally. "Ever since we were kids, she could do anything she wanted." His hand squeezed her shoulder supportively. "She wants you. You and your family. She can do this, Faith."

She looked up at him and he realized that he'd never seen her so broken before. "I can't… if she…"

"Stop," he cut her off gently. "She's not going anywhere. Not Willow and not your baby."

"It's a girl," Faith told him, voice soft. "Hope."

His eye pricked with tears and he had to swallow hard before he could speak again. "That's a good name," he said, voice choked with tears. "Will and Hope are going to be alright," he stated, trying to muster confidence he didn't feel. Faith didn't say anything, but neither did she stop him from pulling her into a comforting hug. "This is for me, okay?" he whispered, knowing how the confident, independent Slayer despised the perception of weakness in herself.

"Thanks." The response was barely audible, but Faith's head rocked over to rest against his chest, his arm comforting around her shoulders.

They waited in silence, neither able to speak and fill the quiet with promises that might prove false. Faith was doing everything she could to keep calm. Losing Willow would break her. The idea was utterly inconceivable. She knew she couldn't lose it completely should the unspeakable happen, she had to be strong for Joy and Jack. If something happened to Willow now, Jack wouldn't even remember his mother.

She shoved the thought from her head immediately. "Nothing can happen to her." She didn't realize that she'd said it aloud until Xander squeezed her. "They said she was losing blood. Do you think… Maybe mine could do something?" Her desperation was clear, as well as her frustration at the powerlessness of her own position.

"Faith, I don't know," Xander said helplessly. "I'm sure the doctors…"

Before he could finish, the door opened and the same doctor who'd forced her out entered. Faith and Xander were both on their feet in an instant, the Slayer moving forward helplessly. "How is she? How are they?"

He lifted a hand, the gesture meant to calm her. "Your wife and baby are both going to be alright, Ms. Lehane," he said, voice soft. He started to explain what had happened, but Faith couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her own heartbeat in her head. Xander's arm slid around her back and she dimly realized that he was supporting her from collapsing. "We'd like to keep them both here for observation for the next day or two, and I'm going to suggest that Willow remains on bed rest for at least a month, possibly longer."

Faith didn't speak and Xander hurriedly thanked him. "We'll make sure of it. And thank you," he repeated himself, shaking hands with the surgeon.

"We'll have Willow back here in just a few minutes, but she's going to be under for a while longer, so…" His words were cut off as Faith seemed to snap out of her stupor and strode forward suddenly to wrap the doctor up in a hug.

He and Xander stared at each other over the Slayer's head and the Watcher stepped forward to pull her back gently. "Thank you," Faith gasped helplessly, ducking her head once she realized what she'd done. "I, uh, I didn't mean to just… Thank you."

The doctor nodded, blinking. "No trouble." He coughed, one hand on his chest. "You're quite strong, Ms. Lehane."

Faith flushed, shoulders rising and falling in a self-conscious shrug. "Sorry about that. Just…thank you." She felt lightheaded suddenly, overcome entirely with relief. Xander kept a steady arm around her while the doctor withdrew from the room, Faith drawing in an unsteady breath. Willow and Hope were going to be fine. Whatever it took to keep it that way, she'd do it.

"She's going to be okay," Xander breathed, relieved. Faith couldn't speak, just leaned into him in a gesture of shared comfort than neither of them would have ever expected they'd exchange.

It took another twenty minutes before Willow arrived, and she was still unconscious as they parked her gurney and shifted her carefully into her bed. Faith pushed in as soon as there was room, but cautiously didn't touch the witch, looking her over carefully. "B," she said softly.

"What?" Xander questioned from behind her. "Faith…"

"I told B I'd call as soon as I knew anything," she clarified. "And the kids… What time is it?"

He found a clock on the wall and took a deep breath as he realized how long they'd been waiting, the time feeling so much more interminable. "It's almost six. I can call if you want."

Faith nodded, her eyes not moving off of Willow's slowly rising and falling chest. She still hadn't touched her wife though, and Xander gently touched the Slayer's shoulder. "She looks so little," she said, voice low and hoarse.

"For someone that's over six months pregnant, yeah, I guess she does," Xander agreed softly, squeezing her shoulders as he slipped an arm around her back. "She's going to be okay, Faith. Will's tough." He pressed his lips gently against her hair for a split second in a supportive move that surprised them both. "She'd never leave you."

Faith swallowed hard, reaching forward hesitantly to stroke one finger carefully over the back of Willow's pale hand. "I can't hurt her, Xand."

"You wouldn't," he whispered. "You're not going to hurt her by touching her. You're strong, but you're careful," he encouraged her. She didn't move and he stretched his hand forward to cover hers, shifting her hand to cover the witch's pregnant belly. "You'd never hurt them."

Faith didn't speak, taking a deep breath as she stroked her hand over the thin cotton of the hospital robes Willow wore. "Thank you, Xander," she said after a long silent moment. "Could you call B?" she asked, not tearing her eyes from Willow.

Xander nodded, drawing his hand back. "Of course." Before he moved away from the bed, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to his best friend's head, whispering to her for a second.

Faith slipped closer as he retreated and her eyes moved from her hand on the bump of their child to Willow's slack, sleeping face. "You scared the shit out of me, babe," she confessed quietly. "I'll tell you again when you wake up, but don't ever do that again." Her voice was low and she leaned over to kiss Willow lightly.

Xander returned after a few minutes and Faith looked up at him. "The kids are still asleep, but Buffy's going to bring them once they wake up."

"I don't know if they should see Will like this," Faith said immediately.

"If she's not awake by the time they get here, I'll stay with them in the waiting room," he promised. "But it's still early. The kids won't be awake for a while so we've got some time." He rounded the bed to take a seat and slipped his hand over one of Willow's, single eye watching as Faith gingerly mirrored his actions but left her hand on the witch's stomach.

They sat in companionable silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. Faith's other hand gradually moved to cover Willow's hand, her forehead leaning against the side of the bed at the witch's hip. The twitch of Willow's fingers was the first sign that the redhead was rejoining them, but it took Faith a moment to recognize the motion as something to be excited about. Her head shot up as she realized it, Willow's head moving toward her. "Faith," she whispered, eyes still closed but her limbs starting to move.

The Slayer and Xander were both on their feet, Faith leaning over to brush red hair back. "I'm here, Will. I'm here!" She couldn't help kissing the witch's forehead, hand squeezing her wife's fingers. "Open your eyes for me. Please," she pleaded, not caring how weak she appeared. Until she saw Willow's eyes meet hers, she couldn't breathe.

Willow groaned, but did her best to comply. "Faith," she repeated, voice soft and weak.

"Do I need to go get a doctor?" Xander asked, moving as soon as the Slayer gave him a nod.

"Was that Xander?" Willow asked, her eyes open for a heartbeat before she let them slide closed again.

"Don't try and talk, babe," Faith advised. "He went to get a doctor to check on you two."

A frown furrowed between the redhead's eyebrows, mouth turning down as she struggled to remember. "Two?" she questioned weakly. "The baby?"

"So far, so good," Faith said, glancing down toward the bump where their daughter was growing. "She's going to be okay, Will."

Green eyes fought their way open again. "She?"

Faith nodded, smiling. "She," she confirmed. "Hope and you are both going to be fine." Willow's hand moved slowly to touch her belly, fingers colliding with Faith's. "That's our daughter in there," the Slayer whispered. She wanted to say more but Xander chose that moment to return with the doctor.

The inspection reassured the anxious parents and Xander excused himself to call Buffy and fill her in on everything. "I'm afraid you're going to need to be on bed rest for the next several months, but your wife has assured me that she is more than capable of keeping you safely incapacitated."

Willow was weakly pouting, but Faith crossed her arms and glared pointedly, her own exhaustion obvious in her expression. "She's good at that," Willow agreed reluctantly. "When can I go home?"

"Not yet," Faith stated before the doctor could, the Slayer's arms still crossed over her chest. There was something in her voice that made Willow submit without argument.

Xander was still in the hall when the doctor left and Willow squeezed Faith's hand, struggling to push herself up in the bed. Faith helped her, hands fidgeting restlessly with the edge of the sheets, the fringe of Willow's hair, the pillows, anything to keep from meeting Willow's eyes and starting the conversation she knew was coming. "Faith." Willow's voice was tired and weak, but she was determined. "Look at me." Faith's brown eyes flickered to her and Willow could see the depth of the Slayer's fear in her face. "Honey," she breathed sympathetically.

"No," Faith interjected hoarsely. "Don't do that, Willow."

The redhead sighed. "You look so…"

"You scared the shit out of me, Will." Faith started walking, pacing at the foot of the bed while both hands tousled her hair. "Tonight, this whole thing, waiting to see if you were going to live, I've never been so scared in my entire life." She spun as she reached the wall, Willow watching her partner prowl from side to side soundlessly except for her increasingly heavy breathing. "Is this what it's like whenever I go out to fight demons, because I don't know how you do this! If anything like this ever happens again I think I'm going to lose it, Will…"

"Faith!" Willow called her, seeing her Slayer's calm bleeding out rapidly. "Come here, please," she requested.

Faith was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong? What hurts? I'll get the doc back…"

"No, Faith, I'm okay," Willow cut in quickly, taking her partner's hand to keep her from bolting off. "I'm sorry you got scared, but we're going to be fine. I would never scare you like this on purpose, sweetheart." She tugged the Slayer closer by the hand. "You know that, right?" Faith nodded quietly, starting to regain her calm. "I would-_will_ never leave you if there's anything I can do to stop it." She squeezed the hand in her grip, dragging it up to her lips. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not leaving you," Faith stated, eyes still anxious as she surveyed the redhead again. "B's going to bring the kids when they wake up."

Willow nodded, yawning. "Good. Will you do me a favor until they get here?"

"Anything you want," Faith promised without a second's pause.

"Get in here," Willow requested, voice heavy and tired. Faith just stared until the witch started to shift herself over gingerly.

"I don't think I should," Faith started to say. "The doctors, and you've got all those tubes and wires and all…"

"I don't care," Willow insisted. "I need you to hold me." She was still stubbornly moving herself sideways in the bed. "Faith, nothing can get me if you're with me." She knew that she'd been in Faith's arms when the pain had started, but the plea worked nonetheless and the Slayer sighed as she studied the free space next to Willow. She moved slowly and gingerly, carefully settling her weight on the edge of the mattress and guided Willow's head to her shoulder, arm stretched carefully under her witch's shoulders.

"Better?" Faith questioned quietly. Willow nodded, breathing deeply against the brunette's chest. "Babe, Willow…"

"Faith, you'll drive yourself crazy thinking about what didn't happen," Willow advised. "Believe me."

Faith took a deep breath against red hair. "I kind of understand you going nuts when Tara died," the Slayer admitted, realizing too late that she wasn't being sensitive or tactful at all, but Willow didn't chide her. "I didn't mean that," Faith said quickly. "Will…"

"It's okay," Willow whispered. "I did go crazy." She sucked in a shaky breath. "And I would never want you to feel like that. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." One hand moved slowly up to stroke the Slayer's brown hair. "You're stuck with me, Faith. Hate to break it to you."

Faith laughed hoarsely, curling imperceptibly closer to her wife. "That's not funny," she said, recognizing that her voice almost sounded normal. "You need to sleep."

"Are you okay?" Willow asked instead, still touching her lover's hair gently.

"You're in the hospital. You just had surgery. You shouldn't be asking me that," Faith protested. "I'm only okay if you are, Will." She kissed the top of the witch's head. "Sleep," she requested. "I'm sure the kids will be here soon enough. You need to get some rest."

Willow sighed, knowing that her partner was right, she could have died and she needed sleep. Especially before their children arrived and inevitably disturbed her slumber. "You too, okay?" she countered. "I'm right here with you."

They lapsed into silence, Willow's breathing steadying and slowing against her chest, the predictable exhales against her collarbone soothing Faith slowly. Xander poked his head in the room, but didn't say anything, just taking his seat back at the bedside. He looked to be dozing himself, a state Faith hadn't been able to reach, when the door opened a crack to admit Buffy's head and shoulders. Faith tensed to move, but Willow's arm tightened against her chest, fingers wrapping themselves in her shirt to keep her in place.

"Come in," Faith called softly, reluctantly shaking Willow to wake her. "Babe, the kids are here," she whispered. The sleepy witch's green eyes opening were a relief and she was a bit astounded by the blast of comfort that she took from simply seeing Willow looking at her.

Jack was riding Buffy's hip, but Joy rushed around her aunt to reach her parents at the bed, stopping beside Xander's chair. "Mama?" she asked, confusion and fear battling in her voice.

"Your Mom was sick, but she's going to be okay," Faith promised, meeting their daughter's eyes solidly. "Something happened to the baby, but the doctors did a surgery and they're both going to be fine." Joy found Willow's eyes for reassurance, one hand reaching forward slowly but hesitating before she touched her mother.

Willow took her hand and drew it to her lips to press a soft kiss to the back. "I'm going to be just fine, baby girl." Joy wrinkled her nose distastefully at the nickname and Willow gave her an encouraging smile. "And so is the baby girl," she continued, guiding Joy's hand to cover her growing sister.

The look of surprise on Joy's face was echoed by the shock in Buffy's expression and the pair gaped at the couple in the bed. "Girl?" Joy questioned, smile breaking out in response. "My sister?"

"Hope," Willow confirmed, nodding. "Hear that, Jackie boy?"

The little boy just blinked at her. "Sister?" he asked, waving one arm toward Joy.

"That's right, Joy is your sister," she said encouragingly, Buffy's hand smoothing over his back as he yawned. Willow couldn't help echoing the tired gesture and Buffy's free hand reached for Joy's shoulder. "Don't go," Willow requested. "You just got here."

"I don't want to go yet!" Joy agreed. "I've got a sister!"

Willow grinned, nodding. "You will, Joy-rider."

The teen looked concerned. "Are you okay, Mom? Really? Is the baby going to make you sick again?"

Faith's arm tightened almost imperceptibly around Willow, holding her that much tighter. "I don't know, sweetie. I'm going to have to be really careful until Hope is born, but Mama's going to take good care of me, you know?"

Joy nodded seriously, looking over Willow's shoulder at Faith, her own personal hero. "You are, right, Mama? You're going to take care of Mom and Hope, aren't you?" It was clear the faith she put in her mother to take care of them all.

The Slayer nodded her head firmly. "Of course I am, Joy," she promised. "Nothing's going to happen to your mom or your sister."

"Good," Joy said, heaving a sigh of relief. If Faith made her a promise, it would be kept. She knew it without a doubt.

"You love your sister and Mom, don't you?" Buffy questioned, leaning over to kiss the top of her niece's head.

Joy nodded, getting choked up. "Aww, sweetie, don't cry. It's okay," Willow spoke up quickly, moving toward her daughter. "Come here, Joy," she said, opening her arms and pulling the little girl to her. "We're both going to be fine, honey. I promise you. I'm not going anywhere, and your Mama and I will _never_ let anything happen to you or your brother or your sister." Faith's arm shifted to let her squeeze her daughter's arm as she cried against Willow's chest. "It's okay, baby. I promise you."

It took Joy a few minutes to calm down, the teen wiping her eyes as she leaned back. "You promise?"

"Absolutely," Willow answered earnestly. "We promise."

"Okay," Buffy interjected gently. "You're both exhausted," she stated. "Faith can barely keep her eyes open." If there was one thing that would get Willow to submit to going back to bed it was the knowledge that Faith would drive herself past exhaustion to keep an eye on her. Going to sleep herself was the only way to ensure that Faith did as well.

Willow sighed, knowing that it was a ploy but equally unable to deny it. "Fine, but can you come back after school?" she requested. "I missed you guys this morning!"

Joy nodded, leaning over to kiss Willow's cheek when she tapped the spot with a finger. The teen climbed onto the side of the bed to lean over the redhead and do the same to Faith's cheek. "Love you," she said as she hopped back, wiping her cheeks.

Buffy carried Jack to Willow's side, the redhead kissing his forehead and cheeks before he could giggle and squirm away. "I love you," the witch echoed. "And you too, bub."

"I'm glad you're okay," Buffy murmured as she leaned over to plant a kiss of her own on Willow's head, smirking as Faith pushed her back slowly. "It's not nice to scare us like that," the Slayer said, sobering.

"I'm not planning on doing it again," Willow promised tiredly, Faith's arm around her shoulders snuggling her that much tighter against herself. "Thanks for the help."

"Anything, anytime," Buffy agreed, clarification not necessary. "I'll bring them back around three?"

Willow nodded, having to hide another yawn. "Thank you." The Slayer took the baby back and the witch didn't resist melting into Faith's arms again. "Love you guys." She was fading quick and the others left without speaking again, leaving the redhead and her partner to sleep in peace.

* * *

It took less than a week for bed rest to become intolerable. After a month, the witch was sure she was going crazy, Willow anxious to move and get out of the house. Unfortunately for her, Faith was diligent and more than capable of keeping the redhead in bed. "At least if I have to stay in here, you could join me and make it fun!" Willow complained, crossing her arms as she pouted.

Faith laughed, in the middle of folding laundry. "I don't think bed rest involves sex, Will."

"Well, it should!" Willow said, glaring around at the sheets. "This is boring! And it would be fun!"

The Slayer laughed again, shaking her head. "I have no doubt about that, babe. But I don't think you're supposed to be moving around a whole lot." She held up a colorful t-shirt. "Is this yours or Joy's?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Very funny. It's Joy's. Faith…"

"The doctors said you're on bed rest, Will. There's nothing I can do about it," Faith stated, the two of them having had this discussion more than once in the last month. Willow huffed, a sure sign that she was annoyed. "I'll go," Faith offered, picking up the laundry basket. "But you know I'll hear you if you move out of that bed."

"I'm mad at you," Willow said in frustration as Faith turned to go.

The Slayer just gave her a wink over her shoulder. "I know you are." For all of Willow's protests, she was still feeling weak, the baby simply sucking her energy away. It killed Faith to not be able to give Willow what she wanted, but taking care of the stubborn redhead was her first priority. Tucking the plastic basket under one arm, her free hand dug in her pocket for her phone. "B, I need you to come over here," she said as her counterpart answered.

"She's mad at you again?" Buffy asked sympathetically.

"Says she is," Faith answered with a sigh. "Will you come hang out?"

"Of course, but maybe we could mix it up a little bit," the blonde suggested. "It's nice out. What if we moved her down into the yard for a little while? You've got lawn chairs and the backyard should have some shade."

"And it's not the bedroom, so maybe she'll be a little happier with me." Faith turned into Joy's room to drop the stack of fresh laundry on her daughter's bed.

"You know she's not actually mad at you, she's mad at the situation," Buffy reminded her. "But she's only got a few more weeks, right?"

Faith moved across the hall to put Jack's tiny outfits away in their drawers, phone pinned between jaw and shoulder. "Thank God," she said earnestly. "She keeps trying to convince me that sex is allowed on bed rest."

"Oh jeez!" Buffy complained. "I can't hear about this, Faith! You know the rule! No talking sex with me!"

"I can't tell Will how much I want to give in, and Xander's out, of course, so you're it, B!" Faith stated.

"She's on bed rest! You better keep your hands to yourself."

"I know! I am!" Faith said. "We're both just so frustrated with everything and it's hard. But Hope is fine, and Willow stays tried, but she's okay too. It's just stressful."

"Well, I'll be upstairs in a few minutes to help you," Buffy promised.

Willow was decidedly apologetic as Faith reentered their bedroom, the witch reaching one hand for her. "I'm sorry," she said immediately. "I'm not mad at you. I just kind of hate being trapped in here, and you're the only person I can take it out on," she explained.

"I know that, Will," Faith assured her, smiling as she leaned over to kiss the redhead's hair. "I get it. And I'm tough. I can take it." She shrugged. "B's coming over. She figured we could go sit outside for a while, maybe."

Willow's expression fell for a moment, but she schooled it back to normal quickly. "Oh, okay. Well, it looks like it feels good out there. Should be nice."

"No, dummy, you're coming too," Faith clarified, seeing her mistake immediately. "A lawn chair and some shade and you'll be in good shape, right?" she asked, hoping the change of scenery would help.

She was answered by a kiss, Willow hauling her in thank her passionately. They both groaned into a gap for breath, but Faith was the one to reinitiate the kiss, leaning forward with both hands planting themselves on either side of Willow's body and taking her lips again. Willow's fingers curled into the Slayer's hair, tugging her closer while Faith struggled to balance herself in a way that kept her from putting any weight on the pregnant witch. "We've got to stop," Faith breathed desperately, wanting nothing less than to stop, but needing to be sure that Willow was healthy.

The witch groaned again, the sound frustrated. "We don't," Willow growled. "Faith…" She was cut off by a gasp, Faith withdrawing immediately. "Nothing hurts," Willow said quickly, grabbing her wife's hand before she could move out of reach. "She's kicking." She put Faith's hand in place to feel it, smiling as Faith's lips broke out in a wide grin. "She's going to be strong."

"Like her mom," Faith said, thumb moving in slow circles against Willow's stomach.

Their eyes locked and Faith had just leaned in for another kiss when Buffy cleared her throat behind them. "What happened to hands off?" she requested.

"Hope's kicking," Faith said in answer.

"And hands off sucks," Willow added, pouting as she leaned over so her best friend got the full effect of her plaintive expression. The blonde just smirked and laughed and Willow shook her head. "No, not being funny here! It _sucks_, Buffy!"

"Well, come on and we'll get you outside and you can calm down and stop glaring at me," Buffy teased. "It's not the bedroom," she coaxed. "All the sunshine, and the fresh air, and Jack playing and laughing."

"Fine," Willow said, smiling down at Faith's hand on her stomach, covering their baby. "I'm mad at her now," she told her Slayer, sounding almost cheerful as she took a final quick kiss.

Faith grinned. "I'm good with that." Her eyes considered the witch. "Want me to ca-"

"I want to walk," Willow interjected rapidly.

"Fine," the brunette said, a warning edge in her voice. "But you lean on me and if _anything _even twinges, you tell me," she ordered, brown eyes serious.

Willow nodded, eager expression on her face. "Let's go!"

Buffy moved up on the witch's other side as Faith gingerly helped her sit up, feet over the edge of the bed. The blonde rolled her eyes as Willow swatted her arm lightly, shaking her head. "Now I see why Faith wanted me to come over," she muttered. "Hormones and bed rest do _not _mix," she advised them.

"Believe me, pregnancy hormones don't mix with _anything_," Faith commented, yelping as Willow swatted her on the back of the head sharply. Buffy laughed and got a swat of her own for good measure. Giving each other long-suffering looks behind Willow's shoulders, the two Slayers each guided an arm around the witch to support her.

Their progress was slow, but it was the most Willow had been permitted to move in weeks and she was overjoyed by the time they reached the yard. Joy was boxing her mother's punching bag at the tree and Jack was running circles around Bones, trying to coerce the elderly dog to get up and play with him, but the most he got in response was a languid tail flop.

It proved entertaining enough as it swept the eighteen month old off his unsteady feet. However, the son of Faith and Willow Lehane didn't stay down. The women could just watch as he climbed back up, using Bones as a stabilizer. Little hands tugging his fur prompted another tail flop and Bones lifted his head to look at the little boy. Brown eyes locked and Jack schooled his face in a pouty glare that made his elders all laugh. The tail flopped again and Jack made his best attempt to grab it while Bones turned his head to give his redheaded mistress a patient look.

Satisfied that he was entertained and would subsequently entertain them, Faith quickly brushed stray leaves off of the lawn chair and helped Buffy lower the baby encumbered Willow into the chair. The witch made a show of taking a big, deep breath of the fresh afternoon air.

"She might not go back inside," Faith commented as she flopped down in the grass next to the chair and curled one arm behind her head, eyes closed against the bright sunlight.

"Nope," Willow stated cheerfully.

"I think I can find a tent for you guys," Buffy chimed in with a laugh. "Since I'm sure you wouldn't leave her out here alone."

"Nope," Faith echoed. "No tent, though. I'll just pick her up and take her in once she falls asleep."

Willow dropped one hand over the side of her chair, finding Faith's wrist and pulling on her arm. "Come here," she said. Faith sat up obligingly and Willow tugged on her arm again. "Here," Willow clarified, doing her best to sit up. "Sit with me."

Faith took a deep breath, trying to think of an argument that would appease Willow, but able to think of nothing. "Fine," she agreed slowly, gingerly sliding into the space behind Willow and leaving her knees spread wide as the witch shifted back into her.

"Thank you," Willow murmured as she pulled Faith's hand around to rest on her stomach, their baby. Her head rocked back against the Slayer's chest and she trailed her fingers across her belly, tracing Faith's hand and lacing their fingers together.

Jack's giggles as he succeeded in trapping Bones' tail drew their eyes and Willow could help smiling widely. Even if she couldn't get out of bed, or walk without an overprotective Slayer at her side, these moments with her family were priceless. And once their newest family member arrived, there would only be more. And it would make all of the frustration and impatience at not being allowed to move entirely worth it.

"You okay?" Faith's whisper drew her back to the present, Jack still laughing as Bones rolled over and knocked the little boy off his feet again. That was his signal to resume the game and Jack hopped up and made a grab for the dog's tail again.

Willow let out a deep breath, relaxing further into her partner. "Five-by-five," she promised, moving their joined hands over their sleeping baby inside her.


	17. Chapter 17

Okay, everyone notice the rating change, please... And if that's not your thing, you'll want to stop reading after they leave the party.

* * *

Willow groaned, letting her head drop to solidly thump against the table. "Why did we let her talk us into this?" she asked, grumbling.

"She says we're making up for all those years we weren't married and couldn't celebrate anniversaries," Faith answered, clearing the dishes from breakfast. Their house was oddly quiet so early in the morning, all of their children more prone to sleeping in.

"We celebrated those anniversaries!" Willow protested. "We just celebrated them privately and in ways she doesn't like to admit exist."

Faith laughed, undeniably smug. "She even caught us celebrating one year," she remembered. "I didn't think her face would ever stop being that bright red color."

"But a giant party? All your Slayers and my witches? It's going to be a mess!"

"And our private parties are much better anyway," Faith pointed out.

"Sing it!" Willow still hadn't lifted her face from the table and her voice was muffled. "But Buffy's all excited about the party. I think our anniversary is just an excuse for her to relax."

"B does need to take the stick out of her ass," Faith agreed, grinning as Willow picked up her head to shoot her a look. "And we're cooperating. So far." She moved to the table and took a position right behind Willow's chair so she could rest both hands on top of the witch's shoulders. "It's B's party. We just have to not let it stress us out, okay?" Her hands rubbed lightly, drawing a groan from Willow's chest. She leaned over to press light kisses to the side of her wife's neck only to draw back suddenly and pull a more frustrated groan from the redhead.

"Faith…"

"B," Faith said succinctly, cluing her partner in on her reason for stopping the contact. Their friend was infamous for her timing concerning their personal interactions. They both heard feet hit the floor overhead and she stepped back further. "And Joy." They exchanged a look, both taking deep breaths. "Rain check?" Faith requested.

"You got it," Willow agreed. "We'll still celebrate our anniversary our way," she promised.

The kitchen door opened and Buffy let herself in as Joy was padding down the stairs. "Morning!" Buffy greeted them cheerfully.

Her statement was echoed by Joy's a moment later, the teen hugging both of her parents around their shoulders. "More party planning? How much could there possibly be left to do, Aunt Buffy?" she asked in disbelief.

"Amen!" Faith called, rolling her eyes at her counterpart. "What are you freaking out about this time?" she asked, trying to be accommodating. "The catering? The tents? What is it?"

Buffy shrugged, looking confused. "I can't just come over?"

"Not for the last two months," Faith groused. "It's been one crisis after another every time you come through the door."

"But we appreciate the party," Willow said quickly, shooting a look at her Slayer. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

"And it's this weekend," Joy chimed in with a grin. "Hey, Mom, I wanted to ask you if my friend could come to the party too. Would that be okay?"

Willow nodded, shrugging. "Sure thing, sweetie. Invite whoever you want to."

"Thanks, Mom," Joy chirped happily, leaning over to kiss her mother's cheek. "I'll go call and tell him."

She was up and moving but Faith grabbed her arm, the Slayer's eyes narrowed. "What? Wait. Who's this guy you're inviting?"

Joy shrugged. "He's my best friend. You've met him, Mama."

Faith frowned, trying to think. "What's his name? Is he that skinny little kid?"

"He's on the football team at school now, but it's the same guy," Joy said, nonplussed by her mother's sudden interest in her friends. "Mark," she supplied, glancing at Willow in confusion. "So, can he come?"

"Of course he can, Joy," Willow assured her, rolling her eyes at Faith. "You go call him, okay?"

Joy nodded slowly, giving her parents doubtful looks. "Alright."

Willow and Buffy both turned to glare at Faith as soon as the teen was gone. "Seriously?" Willow demanded. "He's her best friend! You've met him a dozen times! Where's the uptight hostility coming from?" she asked, frustrated and amused simultaneously.

"She's our daughter! And this Mark guy…"

"Is a guy and it's got you freaked," Buffy finished for her, smirking at her counterpart.

Faith didn't flinch from the accusation, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "He's a fifteen year old guy. I stand by my so-called freak out," she declared firmly. "Will, I'm not crazy! Guys can't be trusted."

"But Joy can be," Willow reminded her gently, reaching out to rest one hand over her wife's. "We raised her. She can take care of herself."

Buffy laughed, nodding her head in agreement. "Joy's the most capable kid I've ever known, Faith. She's not going to let some guy get anything over on her. Besides, Mark's harmless. I'd be more worried about Sam." Faith and Willow's eyes turned to her simultaneously and she took an unconscious step back.

"Who's Sam?" Faith demanded gruffly.

"Samantha Sam?" Willow asked, shocked.

"Samantha?" Faith asked, turning her eyes to the redhead. "Sam's a chick?"

"You know her too," Willow said impatiently. "You think Sam has a crush on Joy?" Sam was Joy's other best friend, she and Joy and Mark pretty much inseparable at school. "Why do you think that?"

Buffy shrugged, smirking as she leaned back against the kitchen counter behind her. "I do have some experience watching girl crushes develop," she reminded them, giving Willow a fond smile. "Most of the time it's happened right under my nose, but I've learned the signs by now. Sam's got a little yen for Joy."

"Oh jeez," Willow muttered, free hand rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache coming. "Has your shiny new gaydar picked up any sign that Joy likes her back?"

Buffy's shoulders bobbed as she shrugged again. "Nothing I've noticed. But you can relax, Faith. I don't think she's got anything going for Mark either."

Faith's shoulders slumped in relief but Willow sighed sadly. "What? You're disappointed that our kid's not stuck in some weird best friend love triangle?" Faith asked incredulously.

"No, I'm not disappointed, but it sucks to have feelings for your best friend that aren't answered," Willow said, morose.

"Um, what?" Buffy and Faith demanded in unison.

Willow blinked at them both, frowning. "Uh, does no one remember when I was once in love with Xander?"

The Slayers exchanged sheepish looks, Faith biting her lip. "Well, I kind of like to forget that that was ever a thing," she said hesitantly. "Thinking about it kind of skeeves me out." Buffy just nodded silently, lip twisting.

"You thought I meant you, didn't you?" Willow questioned, grinning at the blonde. "Buffy, you're my very best friend and you're a beautiful woman, but I'm really sorry to disappoint you…" She pointed to Faith. "That's my Slayer."

Buffy lifted both hands quickly, shaking her head. "And I'm completely good with that! That's why we're celebrating your anniversary in two days."

"And we're back to party planning!" Faith said, releasing Willow's hand to lean back in her seat. "What do we have left to do?"

"Nothing!" Buffy insisted. "Except maybe make sure Sam got invited to the party."

Willow rolled her eyes just as they heard their eight-year old son's unmistakable steps on the floor above them. "Jack's up," she said unnecessarily as they all listened. "And there he goes." They heard muted thumps as socked feet hit carpet then a familiar crash as his running momentum caused him to slip once the rug turned into slick hardwood at the end of the hall.

"Every day. Every _single_ day," Faith mused quietly. "Jackie-boy! You okay?" she called, raising her voice.

"Oww!" he whined back and they could hear him picking himself up. "I'm okay."

"Maybe he shouldn't wear socks to bed," Buffy suggested thoughtfully, familiar with her nephew's antics.

Willow shrugged as their son pounded down the stairs. "We've tried. He says his feet get cold."

"That's because he kicks all the blankets off," Faith said, taking a sip of her coffee.

The redhead stood up to get a bowl from the cabinet and Jack's favorite cereal and she tousled the Slayer's hair as she moved past her. "And I have _no_ idea where he got that from," she teased her partner affectionately. "Good morning, Jack."

The little boy took a moment to survey the room, busy brown eyes jumping. "Aunt Buffy!" The blonde quickly stepped forward as he bolted to jump into her arms. His socks slid on the slick wood of the kitchen floor, but his aunt's reflexes kept him from face planting again.

"How's my guy?" Buffy asked him as he threw his thin arms around her neck.

"Good!" he answered loudly. "When do we get to fight again?" His favorite thing to do was wrestle with his aunt.

Buffy lifted a teasing eyebrow at him. "Oh, you think you can take me?" she asked, bouncing him in her arms. He was small and wiry from being born early, but he didn't let it slow him down.

"I know I can!" he crowed as Buffy put him down in his chair while Willow gave him the cereal box. "Mama's been teaching me tricks!"

"Oh, she has? You're on then!" Buffy agreed. "Are you ready for the party?"

He nodded, already smacking away on his cereal. "S'long as I don't have to dress up."

Buffy gave Faith a smirk, the brunette shrugging. "He knows what he wants. You've gotta admire it," Faith reasoned.

"He's like _you_," Buffy clarified pointedly, drawing a laugh from both Faith and Willow.

"She's got you there," Willow said, pressing a kiss to the top of Faith's head.

Faith shrugged. "Hey, you must not have that big of a problem with it," she reasoned. "You married me."

Willow grinned, shrugging. "That's true. I did marry you. Jack, is your sister still asleep?"

"She's on the phone," he answered, mouth full of cereal.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Faith reminded him. "And I think Mom meant your other sister."

"Oh." Jack swallowed a big bite. "Yeah, Hope's sleepin' still." Their youngest, six year old Hope, was capable of sleeping through even the loudest storms (and one demon attack in the street outside the house). Jack looked up at his parents, pleading pout already in place. "Can I go to the playground?"

Faith nodded immediately, eager to get away from any more potential party planning. "Sure, bub. We'll go once your sister wakes up, okay?"

He huffed impatiently, but nodded. "Thank you," he said dutifully.

"You just want to play on the monkey bars," Willow teased her partner, poking her in the side as she leaned over to rest her head against the top of Faith's hair.

"They're fun," Faith didn't argue, grinning at her son as she caught Willow's hand against her stomach to keep from being poked further.

Willow sighed, pinching instead of poking. "Just don't break your neck," she requested. "Even you couldn't make traction look hot, babe."

Faith smirked, winking whenever Buffy grimaced. "I don't know about that, but I'm always careful, Will."

"Five-by-five, Mommy!" Jack contributed helpfully, the declaration drawing laughs from all three of his elders.

"Best boy _ever_!" Faith praised, exchanging high fives with her son.

Joy returned with her arms full of squirming sister. "Look who I found," she said, tickling the youngest redhead in the family. Hope shrieked with laughter and Joy deposited her little sister in her seat at the table.

"Is Sam going to be able to come to the party?" Willow asked, smiling at her daughters as Joy helped Hope steady the carton of orange juice.

Joy nodded, snagging a slice of toast from the center of the table. "Yeah. She says thanks."

"What about Mark?" Faith questioned, ignoring Buffy's rolling eyes at her lack of subtlety.

Joy quirked an eyebrow at her mother, but shook her head. "No. I asked him, but he's going to his dad's house this weekend."

"That's too bad that he can't make it, but I'm sure he'll have a nice weekend with his dad," Willow said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll see him once he gets home."

Joy nodded, grinning. "Yeah, we're going to the game at school Monday night after he gets back."

Willow's head turned to lean her cheek against Faith's hair, arms curling around her wife's shoulders. "I'm sure you'll have fun."

"We're going to the park, Joy-rider. You want to come, or are you too cool to hang out with us?" Faith asked, teasing.

Joy shrugged, smiling fondly. "Sam's got to study, so I'm free. Let's do this!" She slapped hands with her brother and Willow smiled at the emotions that flew across Faith's expression, the minute flickers in her eyes that only the redhead herself could detect. Joy found her shoes by the doorway and the witch kissed her wife's cheek softly.

"She's sixteen, babe," Willow whispered. "It's rough on all of us."

Faith nodded without turning her head. "I don't have to like it, do I?"

Willow's lips curled against the brunette's skin. "No, sweetie. Just never forget that she loves you, and me, and her brother and sister, and everybody else. No matter how moody she is, or if one day she doesn't want to go to the park with us."

Faith look a deep breath, eyes sliding from Joy to Jack and Hope. "We're going to have to do this two more times?" she asked in disbelief. "What were we thinking?"

Willow laughed, unable to help herself. "Well, by the time Hope's this age, we'll be old pros at this, right?"

"We can only hope," Faith said quietly, one hand curling up to cover Willow's arm across her chest. "We're strong, capable women, though. We got this."

Willow nodded, kissing behind the brunette's ear. "We got this."

* * *

Slamming doors were nothing out of the ordinary around the Slayers, especially when they forgot their own strength. Joy slamming a door drew Willow's head up from her book in surprise, though. Her face was furious, wavy brown hair framing her head like a thundercloud. Her daughter let out a groan of frustration at the sight of the redhead at the kitchen table and she started to dash up the stairs.

"Hold it," Willow called her back, the teen's shoulders rising around her ears. "What's wrong?"

"She's being so pushy! And stubborn! It's driving me crazy!" Joy answered heatedly, not turning to look at her mother.

Willow frowned at the vague answer, pushing her reading glasses up to rest in her hair. "Who's stubborn? Sam?"

"No! Mama!" With that, Joy stomped upstairs, leaving Willow gaping after her in complete shock. Ever since she was little, when they'd rescued her from vampires, Joy had idolized Faith. Of course, she was sixteen now and of course they'd had their fair share of head butting, but Willow had never seen their daughter so upset with the Slayer.

Rising from the table, she retraced Joy's entrance, spotting Faith pounding blows into the punching bag she kept suspended from a tree in their yard. "What happened? Did something happen at the park?" Willow asked as she approached, keeping her distance cautiously. Faith continued landing hard, blistering blows. "Honey, please don't break your hand again."

Faith stopped the bag with one hand, the knuckles red and swollen. "_Your_ daughter is stubborn." Willow pursed her lips to hide a smirk, biting back the urge to laugh. Faith and Joy couldn't be more similar if they tried.

"My daughter…right," Willow murmured, shaking her head as she moved forward to examine Faith's hand. "You're both stubborn. Now, what happened?" she queried, looking Faith in the face.

The Slayer shrugged, frustration obvious. "We were goofing around on the playground and I asked _one_ little question about the Mark and Sam situation and she bit my head off. She just went nuts on me!"

Willow sighed, light touch dragging over the Slayer's knuckles. The skin wasn't broken, but there would be some light bruises. "Would you have taken advice from your mother when you were sixteen?" she asked gently, eyes amused. Faith blinked at her, shaking her head mutely. "Well, as much as you claim she's mine when she acts like this, Joy is _your_ daughter, Faith," Willow reminded her.

The Slayer sighed heavily, dragging both hands through her hair wearily. "I guess I should go talk to her, huh?"

Willow smiled fondly. "We're a team. I'll come with you." She glanced around the yard. "Um, babe, you didn't leave our other children in the park alone, did you? Because they're a little young…"

Faith sent her a look, eyes narrowed. "Of course not. Dawn has them at Giles'. We're eating dinner there tonight." Her gaze shot toward the upstairs window that belonged to their oldest daughter. "If Joy's speaking to me by then." She groaned, banged up fist knocking against her forehead. "I've never seen her so mad at me before."

Willow curled an arm through Faith's and laced their fingers together. "I do _not_ understand girls," Faith grumbled as she let the witch pull her along.

The redhead laughed, hugging her wife's arm. "I'm going to tell you a secret, honey. No one understands girls. And teenage girls are the worst. We've just got to love her. Because she's our daughter."

Faith nodded resolutely, readying herself mentally as though she was going into battle. She exchanged looks with Willow, one hand raised to knock on Joy's door. Her voice was sullen, but the teen called for them to enter.

Willow stayed near the door, amused by Faith almost hiding behind her, the Slayer edging into the room but staying behind her shoulder. "Joy, sweetheart…"

"Mom, don't," Joy cut her off. Her eyes were narrowed at Faith. "I _told_ you there's nothing going on! With Sam _or_ Mark! You won't listen to me, so why should I keep fighting you about it?"

"Joy…" Faith spoke up slowly, not sure how to keep the fight from escalating. She'd never fought with Joy before. It was something completely beyond her experience and she didn't like it. "I've never done this before, you know…"

"What? Freaked out about something for no reason? Gotten really paranoid? Been _way_ overprotective?" Joy quizzed demandingly, voice sharp and short.

"I know you're annoyed, but watch the attitude when you're talking to us," Willow chided her quickly, leaning against the doorframe. Joy's defensive anger wilted somewhat and the teen took a deep breath.

Faith swallowed hard, grimacing apologetically. "Listen, Joy… I guess you're right about me, freaking out and being paranoid, or whatever, but I've never been a parent before and if it makes it any better, I'm the same way with your mom, and when Jack and Hope are your age, I'll probably be worse with them…" Willow snorted to hide a laugh, and Faith rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Joy. I pushed it, and I'm sorry," Faith offered earnestly. "It's just because I…you know, love you guys."

Faith was as awkward as ever when expressing emotion vocally and Willow and Joy exchanged fond smiles. "I don't mean to be a jerk, it's just that I get crap all the time at school about Sam _and _Mark, so getting it from you too…"

Willow looked between her girls, pleased smile on her lips. "Everyone better?" she asked mildly.

"Yeah," Joy confirmed, nodding from her spot across the room, her crossed arms relaxing. "And Mama, once Jackie and Hope are sixteen, I'll be old enough to be in the overprotective adult club with you," Joy said reasonably, sighing. "So you'll have backup."

Willow blinked, brow furrowing. "Joy…does it bother you that you're so much older than your brother and sister?"

The teen shook her head and Willow could feel Faith stiffen behind her. "Joy?"

"It doesn't bother me!" Joy denied, straightening. "Really, it doesn't. I love them, you know that."

"Of course we know that," Willow agreed quickly, her frown still in place. "But you're older than they are and that can't be easy, sweetheart."

Joy frowned, chewing on her lip. "They're my little brother and my little sister. And you're my parents. That's all there is to it."

"And Sam and Mark are your best friends," Faith added, grinning to break the fresh tension. She didn't know exactly where it had come from, but she could feel it nonetheless.

"Right," Joy agreed with a decisive nod, returning her mother's grin. "Thanks Mama."

* * *

Faith turned as she felt a hand on her shoulder, instinct making her tense before she consciously remembered that she was at her own anniversary party, completely safe.

"Mama, you know Sam," Joy introduced them politely, gesturing to the taller blonde girl at her side.

Faith nodded, seeing her daughter's smirk as her friend spoke up. "Thank you so much for letting me come, Mrs. -"

"Oh, hey, just call me Faith, okay?" the Slayer requested quickly. Willow was chatting with a few of her witches on the far side of the tent, the flowing sundress she was wearing swirling around her knees. "Having fun?" she asked, snapping her mind back to the pair of teens in front of her. "It can't be too thrilling to hang out with the old folks."

"You're not old," Joy denied, lifting her cup to avoid her soda being spilled by Jack and Hope, the pair chasing each other in the maze of legs.

"Slow it down or go outside," Faith warned them, tapping each of her younger children on the head as they passed her. She took a sip of her own drink. "You guys can go if you want, you know. You don't have to stay, Joy."

The teen shrugged easily, exchanging glances with her best friend. "We're good," she said. "If we get bored we'll go shoot hoops at home."

Faith took another pull off her beer as she looked around. "I might go with you."

Joy shook her head with a laugh. "You can't skip out on your own party, Mama. Mom would kill you."

"And B," Faith agreed, spotting her fellow Slayer across the tent.

"Well, it's a fun party," Sam said, smiling over the lip of her plastic cup. "Want to dance?"

Faith kept her expression neutral when Joy glanced at her, merely lifting her eyebrows at the look. The teen nodded, shoving her soda into her mother's hands. "Sure," she agreed, bobbing her head to the upbeat music.

Faith didn't jump as Willow's arms curled through hers, just put Joy's soda down on the nearest table. "Dancing, huh? You're not worried that Sam's hands will wander?" Willow teased.

The Slayer snorted, rolling her eyes at her wife. "You're hilarious," she said dryly. "Really, very funny."

Willow giggled and stole the beer from Faith's hand. "Well, how about _we_ dance and my hands will wander?" she suggested cheerfully. She stood on her toes to kiss the Slayer's neck behind her ear. "Come on, it's our anniversary party and I've barely seen you." Faith leaned toward her just slightly and the witch grinned, knowing she was close to getting what she wanted. "It'll drive Buffy crazy if we get all flirty and hands-on in the middle of her party," she coaxed in a whisper.

Faith groaned, lacing her fingers through Willow's in surrender. "You're mean, babe," she said, letting Willow pull her to the dance floor, the redhead curling her arms around her wife's hips and dipping into her on the beat. "_So_ mean," Faith said lowly while Willow just laughed.

"Come on," Willow answered, smirking. "It's fun." She slid back to dance goofily, whooping when Faith spun her obligingly.

"It is fun," the brunette agreed, watching Willow shaking her butt to the music and giving her a look over her shoulder. "But you're still mean," she contended stubbornly. "Because we're supposed to celebrating our anniversary, but we're in a giant group of people so we can't celebrate the way we do best."

Willow let Faith pull her in again, the witch delighting in shimmying in tighter against the Slayer's body. "Our anniversaries are always getting interrupted by something or other," the redhead offered reasonably. "Some demon, or vampires, orphans in the sewers…"

Faith smiled at the reference to finding Joy, spinning Willow out to get relief from the grinding her partner was tormenting her with. "Do you think she wants to find her parents?" The question was out of her lips before she realized it, Willow going stiff in her arms. "I meant…"

"I know what you meant," Willow said, turning around to look at her, catching sight of Joy and Sam goofing off on the far side of the dance floor. "Did she say something to you?" One hand settled on Faith's shoulder, the other on her hip and started them swaying slowly, face to face.

Faith shook her head, swallowing hard. "I was just thinking, you know. You asked if being so much older bothered her… It just got me thinking, that's all. She's a teenager now, and going through all the stuff that comes with that. It has to be something she's thinking about, right? I mean…she's gotta be curious, right?"

Willow sighed as they danced. "We've always been honest with her, about what happened, how we found her. The orphanage didn't even know who her father was…"

"You could find him, though," Faith countered that. "You're a whiz with that stuff, Will."

The witch nodded. "I probably could find them," she agreed slowly. "But I don't want to start anything Joy's not ready for."

Faith frowned, head shaking from side to side in denial. "Of course not, but _if_ she brings it up, we should be ready, don't you think?"

Willow took another deep breath, leaning her head against Faith's shoulder. "Yes. I'll see what I can find out."

Faith kissed the side of her wife's head, drawing her chin up with two fingers. "Hey. We are her parents. We raised her. Remember, it doesn't mean she doesn't love us. She's got a right to know where she came from, though. And she deserves better than a vamp attack in a sewer."

Willow blinked, nodding. "She does. But Faith, she was left all alone in that place. The odds aren't great that any story we find for her isn't going to be too much better."

"She's got the better now," Faith reminded her. "She's got you for a mother, and me, and a brother and sister who love her, and the rest of our weird little family." She tried a smile. "Right?"

"Right," Willow confirmed. "When did you get to be the reasonable one?"

Faith smirked, puffing out her chest just slightly. "I've been married to this really smart chick for about five years now. I guess she's rubbing off on me."

Willow's grin was wide and pleased. "That's a good answer." The music changed to a slower song, more suited to their swaying dance, and they looked over to see Joy at the DJ's station. She caught their eyes and grinned, shooting them a double thumbs-up across the crowd.

Faith shrugged as Willow looked back at her, the Slayer noticing that the dance floor was clearing. "You up for it?"

The redhead smiled, nodding. "Of course I am," she murmured, moving both arms to rest on Faith's shoulders. "I know we weren't thrilled about the party, but you're having fun, right?"

Faith's head bobbed, eyes catching sight of Joy and Sam ducking out the back of the tent. "Yeah, sure I am. I'm always up for a party, you know." She dipped Willow playfully, gratified to get a laugh in response. "Listen, you know I didn't mean to be all serious in the middle of the party, about the Joy stuff, I mean."

"I know that, sweetie," Willow assured her. "You're looking out for our daughter. It's sweet." She smiled softly. "And you know I've always found your protective thing really hot."

Faith grinned. "Well, then I'm glad I didn't sneak out with the girls to play basketball."

"Excuse me?" Willow asked with raised eyebrows, her smile still on her lips. "You were going to skip out on our party to play basketball with our daughter and her friend?" Faith shrugged, grinning apologetically. Willow rolled her eyes as Faith steered them through a turn. "I guess that would kind of be hot too, though. In a different way." Faith cocked a brow at her and smirked, questioning. "Mom you is very hot, Faith," Willow informed her, shrugging unapologetically.

"Good to know," Faith mused, chuckling. Her eyes darted around the large pavilion tent at all their guests, grateful to notice that the attention on them as the couple of honor was waning. "How long until you think we'd be able to get away with sneaking out?" she questioned. "Because, as fun as this is, you still owe me a rain check for some celebrating and I think I want to collect."

Willow giggled, taking her own look around. "Well, the house _is _empty," she prompted teasingly, lacing her fingers with Faith's as the Slayer's hand shifted to catch hers.

"Let's go," Faith growled, tugging Willow along with a glance over her shoulder for Buffy, wary of her fellow Slayer and her knack for catching them.

They escaped the tent without being noticed, Willow's hands snaking their way underneath the hem of Faith's buttoned-down shirt before they'd even crossed the street toward their house. Joy and Sam were playing one-on-one basketball in the driveway under the light of the spotlight mounted on the side of the garage, and Faith guided them around the far side of the house so they could sneak in through the backdoor.

Willow giggled as they stumbled into the kitchen table, Faith lifting her mouth from her partner's neck to glare at her narrowly in the dark. "What? I thought you were supposed to have supernatural reflexes."

Faith sat down on the corner of the table, hands guiding the witch onto her thigh. Willow's eyes closed hard, her breath growing shuddery. The Slayer smirked, one hand sliding up Willow's back to find her dress' zipper at the back of her neck. The fabric loosened as she tugged it down, mouth back on the column of Willow's neck. "Cute dress, by the way, babe, but it's better like this," Faith said after a moment, hauling Willow up with her as she stood up and letting the dress drop from Willow's body to the kitchen floor.

Willow let Faith move them toward the stairs, laughing. "You know Buffy's the one that's going to find that, right?"

Faith leaned her head back to grin, winking. "I hope she does. Serves her right." Willow's hand slid across her neck and into the back of her hair, drawing her into a slow kiss, their bodies pressed together from chest to knees. Faith groaned as she tore herself away reluctantly, forcing her hands not to stop as she slid down the smooth _miles_ of Willow's back and butt to hook the back of her thighs and pull her up closer. Willow took the prompt and curled her legs around her wife's hips, grinning down at her. "You know, you could have told me you weren't wearing panties," Faith chided.

"I _am_ wearing panties," Willow countered as she scattered light kisses across the brunette's neck, looping her arms around Faith's shoulders as the Slayer carried her up the stairs.

Faith shook her head in denial, one hand clapping lightly to a bare cheek. "Barely," she countered back, tweaking the slender fabric that held the tiny scraps of cloth to Willow's body.

"Does that mean you like them?" Willow teased playfully. "They're new."

The Slayer kicked their door closed behind them as they reached their bedroom, one hand twisting the lock prudently. "They're like the dress, Will," she said, dropping the witch gently in their bed. "I like them, they're sexy as hell, but," she leaned back to drag the underwear down the redhead's toned legs, "personally, I like them better on the floor," she finished, tossing them over her shoulder as she leaned in to reconnect their bodies. "The bra needs to go too, babe," she requested, kissing Willow before she could answer.

The redhead arched her body into Faith's, breathing hard through her nose when the Slayer's leg pressed between her own firmly. "Nhng." Her unintelligible noise broke the kiss and she pushed up on Faith's shoulders with both hands. "You're still wearing all of your clothes," she reminded her lover. "Let's see some turnabout." Her hands slid under the open collar of Faith's shirt, the pressure causing another button to pop. "A little help here?" she requested breathlessly, pushing against Faith's chest again.

The Slayer sat back on her knees immediately, both hands working on the buttons of her shirt. Willow sat up with her and went to work on the belt and button on her slacks. Faith rolled her shoulders and the shirt dropped down her arms only to be caught up at her elbows where she'd folded the sleeves up. "Oh, come _on_!" she grumbled to herself, losing her breath as one of Willow's hands took advantage of the opening she'd made in Faith's pants. "Willow!"

The redhead just shook her head, hand continuing on its path while she leaned forward to scatter kisses across the top of the brunette's bare chest. "Don't tear that shirt," she requested as Faith struggled with the trapped cloth. "I like the color on you." The shirt was a dark red wine color that worked well with Faith's dark hair and eyes.

"I can get another shirt," Faith grumbled, sucking in a short breath as Willow's mouth found her collarbone, the witch's fingers moving under the waistband of her underwear. "Oh jeez," the brunette groaned, eyes closing in a snap. "Will…" She freed one arm and used it to rip the other side free of her stubborn shirt.

Willow shoved her back suddenly, surprising the Slayer. "Lose the pants, Faith," she directed forcefully, shucking off her bra as she spoke. Faith took a moment to stare, mouth hanging open, before Willow kicked her with one foot. "Come _on_," the redhead whined. "It's really sweet and everything, especially after so many years…"

"Shut up," Faith interjected, standing up to shimmy out of her remaining clothes. "You're gorgeous, Willow." She smirked, gesturing toward the nightstand on Willow's side of the bed, the top of the furniture covered with books, a pair of plastic framed reading glasses on the top of the pile. "I even think the glasses are cute, babe."

Willow rolled her eyes, smirking over her shoulder at the books. "The librarian thing, huh?" she teased, squealing in surprise as Faith's arms suddenly dragged her down onto their bed, the Slayer stretched out beside her.

"Well, that is pretty hot on you, but I'll take anything you've got," Faith assured her, nuzzling into the freckled neck and trailing kisses across her chest, shifting herself up to look down into her wife's face. "Hey."

Willow laughed, leaning her head up. "Hey," she answered, amused by the conversational tone when they were both naked and meant to be celebrating their anniversary. "Faith, will you do something for me?"

"Anything in the world," the Slayer promised without a second thought.

"I love you, and the sweet, sensitive thing is wonderful, but you left my dress on the floor in the kitchen, remember?"

"I'm aware," Faith agreed, smirking as her intuition hinted at what her lover's request might be. She could already feel her body heating up in anticipation. When she was young, she never would have expected that she'd end up like this - living with the same person for twenty years and married with three kids. But that was Willow's way, she'd learned - sneaking in all cute and charming and making herself completely impossible to live without. And, she could acknowledge that the sweet nerd she'd first met had grown into a smoking hot woman.

Willow smiled devilishly, knowing that Faith was ahead of her already, just waiting on her to say it. "You know what I want," she said softly. "And I know what you want, so - Faith, I need you inside me." She leaned her head up further as the Slayer's hand skated down her chest and stomach in response, immediate obedience. "Now," Willow directed, both hands pulling Faith into a hard kiss as strong fingers rolled her clit and made her groan.

Faith didn't enter her though, keeping her fingers focused on the witch's clit. The touch kept Willow's hips jumping, their kiss breaking to let the redhead catch a breath. She whined the Slayer's name and Faith's kisses ran down the length of Willow's neck. "I've got you, Will. I'm with you," Faith said into her skin, smirking against the flush.

Willow's back arched and she lifted one hand to grip a handful of lengthy brown waves, dragging Faith's mouth from her skin. "Faith," she said warningly. "Stop teasing." She pulled the brunette's lips back to hers, tongue exploring between her teeth eagerly. Faith's thumb pressed against her clit and two fingers slid home, Willow's tense body freezing before she broke the kiss to moan her pleasure. Faith knew exactly how to touch her. The fingers inside her curled and she knew it wouldn't take long.

"You're really worked up, babe," Faith noted breathlessly, a bit surprised and proud of the startling heat she'd stoked between her lover's legs. "So hot. Will, you're _so_ hot."

Willow gasped, fisting a hand in dark hair. "Why do you think that is?" she ground out, her hips rocking to the rhythm Faith's fingers set inside her. The plunging thrusts moved deep, Willow's body clinging to them on every withdrawal. Sweat beaded on the back of the witch's neck, Willow squeezing her eyes closed as Faith drove her closer to the edge. "Oh my God! Faith, there, there, right _there_," the redhead pleaded, surprised that she could speak at all.

The Slayer laughed throatily into Willow's chest, drawing a nipple between her lips. "I've got you, Willow. Just let it go, baby." Her fingers pressed in deeper, gasping when Willow's muscles tightened around her. "Love you, Will." The low, hoarse declaration drove her over the edge, Willow's back arching with a groan.

Her body went limp as she slowly came down, Faith withdrawing and flopping onto her back beside Willow. "You're good at that," Willow praised, her sweat slicked chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.

Faith turned onto her side and slid one hand across Willow's flat stomach. "I've had lots of practice over the last few years, remember?"

Willow laughed, her hand finding Faith's and pulling it up to kiss the back of it. "Happy Anniversary, Faith."

"Happy Anniversary, Will," Faith answered, leaning up on her elbow to smirk down at a still breathless Willow. "You doing okay, babe?" she asked, laughing.

The witch nodded, her loose red hair moving against the pillow. "Oh yeah," she moaned as she stretched languidly. "How about you?" She blinked and her eyes were clear and dark with want. "Didn't I owe you a rain check?"

Faith's smirk grew and she suddenly reflected that she couldn't have made a better decision than ditching her 'get some, get gone' lifestyle. Nothing in her life had ever come close to how Willow made her feel. She tried to imagine what she'd have thought if she'd known all those years ago in Sunnydale that she was going to marry her rival's best friend, and the mental image of her own expression made her laugh, Willow using her distraction to shove her onto her back in the bed.

"What are you laughing about?" Willow questioned, following her partner and laying stretched out against her side.

Faith was still chuckling and she curled one arm behind her head. "Us in high school. How I'd have reacted back then if I'd known we were going to end up here," she said, gesturing around them at their bedroom.

Willow giggled herself, leaning further into Faith's chest, her hair hanging and trailing against the Slayer's face. "You never would have believed it."

"Oh, because I don't remember you hitting on a bunch of girls back then, either," Faith countered with a smirk as she reached up and pushed strands of Willow's hair back. "But you're right," her arm curled and a hand trailed across Willow's bare back, "I never would have believed it could work out so well for me." She turned her head and they could both see the glow from the tent of their party across the street. Her eyes stayed trained out the window. "Some mornings I wake up and it doesn't seem real, like it couldn't have happened like this for me. You, the kids, our life, in the few seconds before I open my eyes, it seems like I couldn't possibly have this life, like it's a cruel dream mocking me for who I used to be."

Willow's lips pressed against her bare shoulder drew her out of her musings, the witch's eyes shining in the dim darkness of their bedroom. "I know exactly how you feel," she whispered softly. She nuzzled into Faith's neck with her nose. "Every day I wake up and you're there, though." She kissed the skin under her mouth, lips dragging. "Whatever we've done, we're here now, all these years later. Not a dream." She laughed quietly. "I bet Jack's little bony knees snap you out of it pretty quickly every morning anyway," she teased.

Faith's laugh was louder and she grinned. "You're not kidding," she earnestly agreed. "He's got some knobby knees!" Their son had a tendency of launching himself into their bed on the few rare mornings where they slept later than he did. His target was frequently Faith, not that Willow minded missing out of that particular display of affection from their little boy.

Willow let her hand slide across Faith's ribs where Jack frequently landed, touch trailing over one of her few ticklish spots, the redhead smiling when the Slayer sucked in a quick breath. "Will," Faith started, warning edge in her tone. Then Willow's hand moved up across her chest to palm a breast and she groaned instead of protesting. "Don't stop."

"Not planning on it," Willow promised, whispering against the brunette's skin as she let her kisses trail down her wife's chest.


	18. Chapter 18

The only light in the room was the glow from the television, Willow's eyes closed against even that much light. Her head was pillowed against Faith's leg, the Slayer's fingers absently combing through red hair while her other hand held a beer and her eyes were trained on the overtime basketball game on the screen. "Come on!" she muttered to herself. "What was that stupid call? Idiot refs!"

"Is your team winning?" Willow questioned sleepily, her head turned away from the television.

"Not right now," Faith answered testily. "Thirty more seconds, then we can go to bed, I swear."

Willow shrugged slowly, squirming into the cushions. "Want me to move so you can stand up and cheer?" she asked considerately.

Faith laughed, rubbing lightly at the redhead's hair. "No, you're good, babe." It was after midnight, their children already in bed upstairs, and Willow had been relaxing comfortably while Faith watched her game. She'd been drifting closer to sleep as the game dragged on, though.

Their backdoor opening in the kitchen succeeded in getting their attention, however. It was too late for visitors. "Will! Faith!" Buffy's voice, short and sharp, drew them up, Willow turning as she sat up.

"Buffy?" Willow questioned, rubbing tired eyes. "What's wrong?" It was clear that there was something wrong simply from the tone in her friend's voice.

"Is Joy here?"

Faith frowned. "Of course she is. It's after midnight. The kids have all been in bed for a while, B. What's up?"

"I was cutting through the yard on the way home and Joy's window is open. Are you sure she's here?" Buffy said, her arms crossed.

Faith took the stairs two at a time, leaving Willow and Buffy looking up the stairwell behind her. Faith was muttering curses under her breath as she jogged back down a minute later, shaking her head. "She's gone," she confirmed. "Where the hell would she have gone?"

"Buffy, you didn't see her outside, did you?" Willow asked, frown on her face.

The blonde shook her head. "No, of course not. Does she have her phone?"

Faith matched her fellow Slayer's posture, arms crossing her chest and shaking her head. "I found it upstairs on her dresser. I'm going to go look for her. Will, can you call the hospital?" The witch was already on the phone. "B, will you check the school? I'll get the park, anywhere else she might be."

"She's at the hospital," Willow interjected, grabbing Faith's arm before she could rush out of the house. "She's okay," she continued quickly. "She's there with Mark and Sam. They're all okay. The nurse said they're waiting on someone."

Faith let out a deep breath of relief. "We're going," she declared.

"I'll stay here with Jack and Hope," Buffy assured them before they could ask. "Go make sure they're okay."

"Thanks Buffy," Willow said, sliding into her shoes and catching her jacket as Faith tossed it to her.

The hospital waiting room was crowded when they entered, though that wasn't unexpected in a town that sat on a Hellmouth. Joy was against the wall, sitting down with an arm around Mark's shoulders. Sam spotted her friend's parents coming and nudged her, all three teens standing up. "Mama, I…"

"You snuck out," Faith finished flatly.

"But you're all okay, right?" Willow cut her off quickly, shooting her wife a pointed look. "What's wrong?"

"We're okay, Mrs. Lehane," Sam spoke up, smiling weakly. "Mark's dad was in a car accident earlier tonight. We just came down to wait with Mark."

Willow sighed sympathetically, nodding. "Mark, I'm sorry. Have you heard from the doctors yet?"

The tall young man shook his head, sandy blonde hair falling into his face. "No ma'am. Not yet. Dad's in surgery still."

"Okay, well, Sam, do you need us to call your mom?" The teen shook her head. "You're both welcome to stay at our house tonight. For now, you two sit back down while we have a word with Joy," Willow requested, Faith backing her up silently.

Joy exchanged looks with her friends but followed her mothers obediently. Faith appeared to be fuming but she kept her mouth shut, wisely letting Willow take the lead until her temper cooled down. "Mom, I know I shouldn't have snuck out, but…"

"No, you shouldn't have," Willow agreed pointedly, taking a deep breath. "You left your phone at home, sweetheart. We didn't know where you were. Anything could have happened."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Joy offered, glancing over her shoulder at her friends. "But Mark called and he was here all by himself. His mom's out of town until next week, so he's been staying with his dad. Some drunk driver smashed into him and Mark called me and Sam and we came down to sit with him."

"We're not upset that you're here for your friend," Willow said, elbowing Faith gently when the brunette cleared her throat pointedly. "You could have told us you needed to go. You didn't have to sneak out." She cut her eyes sideways at Faith. "Mama might have even let you take the Jeep."

Joy took a deep breath as she met Faith's eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have snuck out. I won't do it again."

Faith nodded without a change in expression and Willow smiled. "Thank you, Joy." She squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "Would it help if we stayed, or do you want us to get lost?" she questioned.

Joy considered, chewing on her bottom lip. "Maybe you could stay for a little while? Ma, you weren't going out tonight, were you? If you need to sleep…"

"No, I was watching a game," Faith answered.

"Oh, did we win?"

Willow slid an arm around Faith's back, leaning into her side. "I'm afraid not," she answered, pointing to the television overhead. Faith grumbled under her breath and Willow patted her stomach soothingly. "Sorry, guys." Faith's arm curled over her shoulder and Willow guided them toward a pair of chairs across from Mark and Sam.

There was quiet as Joy retook her seat on Mark's other side, one hand on his back supportively. It only took a few minutes before Mark was speaking up, needing a distraction, "Someone talk or something. I can't just sit here. Anything," he pleaded, both hands tousling his hair. "Even school. Joy, did you figure out what you were going to do for that project for Jenkins?"

Joy frowned, shaking her head. "Stupid Jenkins," she muttered. "I told her what I wanted to do but she says I can't."

"What's the project?" Willow questioned, not having heard of any issues at school from Joy.

The teen hesitated, her eyes shooting between her parents. "Genealogy research project," she said quietly, looking almost guilty about it.

Faith straightened in the stiff vinyl chair, exchanging glances with Willow. They'd actually been trying to find out information about Joy's parents for the eventuality that she'd ask, but they hadn't shared what they'd found with her yet, choosing to keep the information until she'd asked. The redhead raised an eyebrow at her wife, questioning, and Faith nodded imperceptibly.

"Mama, Mom, I…" Joy started.

"We can help with that," Willow interjected. "We don't know a lot yet, but I'll show you everything I've got, okay?"

Joy blinked in genuine surprise. "What? You know who…" She glanced sideways at Mark and Sam and closed her mouth with a snap. "Could we talk about this at home, maybe?"

"Of course," Willow answered, spotting a doctor coming toward their group. "Mark." They stood up as he approached, the professional giving them each a tired smile.

"You're Mr. Jones' son?" he checked. "Your father suffered a broken pelvis and a fractured tibia that required surgery to repair but he's out of the OR now and he's going to be alright. We will need to keep him in recovery for a day or two, but the procedure went well and he should make a full recovery."

Mark swallowed, throat thick, and nodded. Seeing his distress, Willow stepped forward at his side, shaking hands with the doctor. "Thank you. We appreciate the update, doctor. When can Mark see his father?"

"I'll have a nurse come find you after he gets moved down to recovery," the doctor assured them, nodding as he turned to go. "If you'll excuse me…"

Mark slumped back into a chair and Joy and Sam sat down with him, Willow and Faith watching over them. They lapsed back into silence while they waited, Mark standing up again when the nurse summoned him to his father's room. The others followed him, though they didn't go into the room with him, Willow and Faith leaning against the wall of the hallway, Joy and Sam on the other side.

There were a few minutes of awkward silence and Sam cleared her throat. "I'm going to go…get some coffee. For Mark. Want anything?"

Willow shook her head, smiling tiredly. "No, thank you, Sam." The teen dashed off with an apologetic shrug for her best friend, Joy shooting a glare at her as she retreated.

"Joy-rider," Faith started slowly. "About your project…"

"I wanted to do it on you," the younger brunette cut her off. "You're my parents. But that bitch Jenkins…"

"Hey!" Willow interjected. "You know better than talking about someone like that," she chided shortly, shaking her head.

"I tried to argue, explain, you know, but she's insisting that I've got to, she says that since it's for genetics, not just family history…"

Faith frowned, able to see how upset the issue had Joy. But she hadn't said anything to them about it. "I'll go talk to her," she promised.

"Ma, no. It's not a big deal. I'm going to do the project on you and Mom and she can just bite me," Joy said fervently.

"Joy," Willow said, shaking her head slowly in warning. "I don't want you getting in trouble. And I can give you answers." She looked at Faith. "Your Mama and I have been looking into your parents, baby…"

Joy shook her head, gritting her teeth and squaring her jaw. "No, Mom, don't - _you're_ my parents. Whoever gave birth to me, they gave me away. You saved me. _You _are my moms."

Willow nodded, feeling Faith cross her arms across her chest next to her, the Slayer remaining silent. "We are, baby. Of course we are. No one can ever say that you're not our daughter. You do the project on us if you want to, okay? But if you're ever interested, I've got some answers for you." She swallowed hard, seeing the frustration in her daughter's eyes. "Only if you want to know," she promised. "Tell Ms. Jenkins to call us if she's got a problem, alright?"

"I'll give her a problem," Faith promised under her breath, arms still crossed across her chest.

"Be respectful," Willow warned her daughter, shooting her partner a look. "Don't pick a fight, but if she gives you a hard time, you just walk away, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Joy answered obediently, nodding. "_My_ parents raised me to be polite."

Willow could feel Faith's smirk without seeing it and she rolled her eyes. "Genetics or not, you're too much like your mother, my dear, beloved Joy-rider." Faith laughed and Willow stepped on her foot. "Don't encourage her."

Sam's return with a cardboard tray of coffees delayed further conversation, the teen shrugging as she offered the drinks around to the Lehane family. "I don't like hospitals. I panicked."

Joy took one willingly, her hand followed quickly by Willow's. "Coffee is always good," the redhead said reassuringly. "Thank you, Sam." She gestured toward the door. "Maybe you guys should take one to Mark," she suggested.

"You're welcome, Mrs. L," Sam said, smiling shyly.

Willow shook her head. "How many times do I need to tell you to call me Willow?" she requested. "Joy, your Mama and I will head home if you guys are okay, but we'll leave the car. Will you drive everyone home, please?"

"Yes, ma'am," Joy assured her, nodding dutifully. "Sorry again about sneaking out and all."

"Oh yeah," Faith spoke up, pushing herself up and off of the wall she was leaning against. "Thanks for reminding us. We'll deal with that when you get home."

Willow rolled her eyes and laced her fingers through Faith's, tugging her away. "You're walking me home now," she directed her wife. "Good night, kids." It was after two, but she'd never been able to say good morning until after she'd slept. "Remember, anyone that needs to can sleep at our place."

"Yes, ma'am," Joy and Sam chorused. "Thanks for coming down, Mama, Mom," Joy added, giving her parents a grateful smile as she caught the keys that Willow dug out of the pocket of Faith's jeans and tossed to her.

"Drive safely," Willow directed, pulling Faith down the hall with her. They were on the sidewalk before she spoke again, squeezing Faith's hand. "Ms. Jenkins is a bitch."

Faith laughed, bumping Willow's arm with her elbow. "I thought we told her not to say that about her teacher. Even if it is true." She hopped on her toes, free hand clenched in a fist that she bounced anxiously against her thigh. "I know you're the brainy one, but I'll go to that school and talk to Jenkins."

"Let's let Joy handle it," Willow countered. "We raised a good girl. She can take care of herself, Faith. A high-school history teacher is nothing she can't handle." She took a deep breath. "Do you really think she doesn't want to know what we've found out?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know, babe. Even doing the genealogy project on us, she's not going to have much for my side of the tree. I barely even remember what my dad, my real dad, looked like."

Surprised, Willow blinked at the brunette. "Faith…"

"Will, I'm fine," Faith interjected. "He wasn't around. You can't miss what you never had."

"I could find him," the hacker offered.

"Don't worry about it," Faith shrugged it off. "My mom said he died or ran off. Maybe she just wished he was dead. I was nine or something, so I don't remember how it happened. Whatever it was, he wasn't there. Not a big deal."

Willow sighed sympathetically. Faith never talked about her life in Boston, just a few mentions of her mother occasionally. Thinking about it, she wasn't sure she'd ever heard Faith say anything about her father. "Okay," she agreed mildly. "Then it's not a big deal."

They got another block before Faith spoke again, "Really? That's all you're going to say?"

"You've never pushed me, Faith," Willow reasoned, hugging her partner's arm and resting her chin on her shoulder. "Remember my _multitudes_ of issues when we first started?" she reminded Faith. "You never pushed me to talk. The least I can do is give you the same consideration. You don't want to talk about your family, we're not talking about your family," she finished resolutely, shoulders bobbing.

They made it to their house and Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably, stopping them before they could enter the house, aware that Buffy was in their living room. "Listen, Will. I don't care about my parents, but you're my family. I care about _you_. You and the kids. That's the family I care about."

Willow stopped her with two fingers over her lips. "I know that, sweetheart," she whispered, leaning in for a soft kiss. "We're Joy's parents. Maybe she just doesn't have grandparents, huh?"

"She's got Giles," Faith reminded her. "He's her grandpa. She can put him on there."

Willow nodded, smiling. "You're right. Maybe she could list Joyce as her grandmother," she suggested.

"That's a good idea," the Slayer agreed. "You should ask B."

The redhead rolled her eyes at the familiar boundaries between the two elder Slayers, even after so many years. "I can do that." Faith opened the back door and held it for Willow. Buffy sat up on the couch, dropping the remote on the cushion beside her. "Buffy, would you or Dawn mind if Joy-rider listed Joyce as her grandmother? She's got a genealogy project for school."

Her best friend frowned at the strange topic, but nodded. "Yeah, of course she can. Mom would have been honored, Will." She moved into the kitchen. "How'd it go at the hospital? Is everyone okay?"

Willow sighed, nodding. "Mark's dad needed surgery for broken bones from a car accident, but he's going to be okay. The girls are there waiting with him."

"Oh, okay. Good," Buffy said, her arms crossing her chest. "And what's the deal with the genealogy project?" Her eyes shot to Faith, trying to gauge her counterpart's reaction to whatever had happened.

"Joy's butting heads with her teacher about listing us as her parents since she's adopted," Willow said, following Buffy's eyes and looking at Faith herself.

"That _bitch_," Buffy muttered, mouth dropping open. "Who does she think she is? You guys are her parents."

Faith cleared her throat. "Will's been finding Joy's birth parents, or whatever. For the last couple months now."

The blonde blinked in surprise. "Whoa, what, really? What did you find? Where are they?"

"Joy says she doesn't want to know," Willow said, shaking her head as she tried to hide a yawn. "It's her decision, Buffy."

"Oh, yeah, of course. Duh," Buffy agreed, nodding her head quickly. "Well, Jack and Hope are both sleeping like little rocks, and it's late, so I guess I'll go home now. Night, you guys."

"Night, Buffy. Thanks for looking out for the kids for us," Willow said, giving her friend a quick hug. The Slayer nodded and left, Willow walking backward and letting Faith's arm curl around her shoulder. "I know we're normally up this late, but I'm exhausted," she confessed, feeling wiped out by everything. "Can we go to bed now, please?"

Faith smirked, laughing quietly. "You go on, babe. I think I'll take a patrol."

Willow rolled her eyes and dragged Faith toward the stairs. "Not funny. You're coming with me. Buffy's already killed all the vampires for tonight. Come on."

The morning was early as always, Jack bursting in with a knees-first dive into the bed that Faith failed to dodge, the brunette groaning and pulling him over so he was couched between them. "Morning, bub," she greeted him, voice gruff from lack of sleep.

"Morning Mama," he answered, brown curls falling in his face relentlessly. Willow just groaned from his other side and buried her face in the pillow. "Mommy?" Jack poked her shoulder with a little hand and Faith laughed, catching his arm.

"Mommy's a little sleepy this morning, Jack. Joy kept us up late."

"Joy's asleep," Jack informed her. "And Mark and Sam are here." At eight years old, Jack found his older sister's friends to be only as interesting as grownups, which is to say, not very. Sam, however, would watch cartoons with him and was exempted from his boredom with the rest of them.

Faith grinned, familiar with her son's attachment to Samantha. "Well, maybe we can turn the cartoons on once the grownups are awake. What do you want for breakfast, bub?"

"Pancakes please," he answered readily.

Faith nodded, yawning and curling her arm around Jack. "Just give me five more minutes," she requested drowsily. "It's early and I'm sleepy."

"Ma-_ma_!" Jack whined, squirming under his mother's shoulder. He used both hands to shove at her arm, Faith deliberately making her arm heavier to mess with him.

"Stop fighting," Willow grumbled. "I'm trying to sleep over here."

"Mommy!" Jack rejoiced. "Pancakes!" Never let it be said that Jack Lehane didn't have his priorities in order.

"Sorry, Will," Faith offered, both of them groaning as Jack swatted to either side to try and get his parents' attention. "Oof, Jack, stop, please," she pleaded. "Five minutes, buddy, then I swear I'll make all the pancakes you can eat, okay?"

It only took a minute before he was whining again. "Mama, sleeping with Mommy is boring."

Faith laughed at that, not able to help herself. "You're wrong about that, buddy boy."

"I'm not going to get to sleep anymore, am I?" Willow questioned, rolling over and crossing her arms over her eyes. "Bub, you want pancakes? Let's go make them, then."

Faith sat up. "I got it, babe," she said. "You go back to sleep. Jack, come on. Jump up." He obliged, climbing onto the Slayer's back and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "How about we put some chocolate chips in them?" she suggested, yawning.

"Yeah! Can I pour?" he requested eagerly.

The brunette nodded, hopping to shift him against her back. "You got it. You remember the rule, right?"

"No puttin' my hand close to the griddle," he recited dutifully. "Can I mix too?"

Faith tiredly laughed, jogging down the stairs. "You can do whatever you want, Jackie-boy. I'll just supervise, okay?"

Sam was stretched out on the couch and Mark was sleeping slouched in the overstuffed chair, long legs straight out in front of him. Faith stepped over him gingerly and could hear Jack hushing her softly, his breath tickling her ear.

The smell roused their guests, Mark shuffling in first and greeting the pair at the stove with a tired smile. "Thanks for letting me crash here," he said, rubbing at his hair.

"No problem," Faith stated. "There's coffee on the table and pancakes will be up in just a minute."

"You're the best, Mrs. L," Mark sighed, gratefully pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, hey, is that coffee?" Sam chimed in. "Mrs. L, you rock! Pour me one." Mark handed off the first cup to her and poured himself a new one.

"Please just call me Faith," the Slayer requested, putting a plate of pancakes down on the table. "And start on these before they get cold."

Willow shuffled in and Mark handed over the second coffee without her asking. "Thank you, Mark. You're good people." She smiled at Faith, grabbing the shoulder of her tank top to keep her at the table. "Thanks for cooking, Faith."

"Jack did most of it, actually," Faith told her, taking the kiss on her cheek. "Any sign of the girls?"

"Hope was stirring, but Joy's out." Willow took a sip of her coffee, sighing gratefully at the rush of caffeine. "What time did you guys come in last night?"

"Late," Mark answered.

"He means early," Sam corrected, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Almost four?"

Willow sighed sympathetically. "Aww, sweetie, you two should still be asleep."

"I made pancakes!" Jack called loudly as a reminder. "With chocolate!"

Faith chuckled as she scooped him up off of his step stool in front of the stove and deposited him in his seat. "And thank you, bub. You're a good cook." She tousled his hair as he leaned forward and grabbed a pancake for himself and flopped back into his chair. "You can cook dinner."

"Nuggets!" Jack rejoiced.

Willow laughed, shaking her head. "Or I think I can handle cooking tonight. Mark, Sam, you're welcome to stay for dinner. I know you'll probably want to go check on your dad today, but you're welcome to borrow the car, come back for dinner, stay again tonight, whatever you need."

"Thank you," Mark said hoarsely, nodding gratefully.

They were on their second round of pancakes by the time Joy and Hope appeared, Faith back in front of the stove. "Hey, guys," Joy greeted her friends as she slumped into the seat Willow vacated for her at the crowded table. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Your little brother's a good cook," Sam said, winking at the little boy and sending him into a blushing fit.

Faith and Willow exchanged grins, the redhead taking a stack of fresh pancakes from her wife and delivering them to the table. The elders leaned back against the countertop together, leaving the table to the kids. "Mama let you cook, Jack?" Willow questioned over the lip of her mug.

"I was watching him," Faith said defensively. "He knows the rules. We're careful."

Willow sent her an amused smirk. "I wasn't accusing you of anything." She winked at Jack as he sent her a grin. "Jackie's good at cooking. Aren't you, bub?"

"Yeah!" he yelped in agreement. "Can I go play?"

"Sure, buddy, just stay where we can hear you, okay?" Faith directed.

He jumped down out of his chair and ran for the door. Hope stared longingly after her brother, but stayed in her seat to eat her breakfast, cutting big bites in an attempt to get her food bolted down all the faster and let her go play. "Hope, don't eat so fast," Willow reminded her gently. "We don't want you to choke, baby girl."

Sam and Joy exchanged grins and Mark cleared his throat. "I think I should get back to the hospital soon. Thanks for breakfast, and the chair, and everything," he said. Simultaneously, the two girls drained their drinks and stood up with him. "You guys don't have to come."

Hope slapped a hand to her sister's wrist. "Joy, stay and play," she requested. "Please?"

Sam smirked at her friend and winked at Hope. "Looks like you're occupied."

"It's cool, Joy," Mark assured her. "Just going to be a bunch of sitting around and waiting, watching bad daytime TV."

"You guys are coming back for dinner, though, right?" Joy checked, raising her eyebrows as she glanced between her parents and her friends.

Willow gave a nod of approval and Sam grinned. "We'll be here," she answered for them. "Thank you." She curled an arm through Mark's and dragged him toward the door. "Can we swing by your house and take showers?"

Joy laughed as they left, reaching across the table to tousle her little sister's red curls. "What are we playing today?"

"Fighting," Hope answered eagerly. She was her mother's daughter and trained just as hard as either of her older siblings. Of course, she was young enough that technique was second to just wrestling, but she still enjoyed it.

"Okay," Joy agreed with another laugh, catching her mothers' exchanged looks. "We'll take it outside with bubba. You could get a nap."

"If you're saying we're old, I'm going to kick your butt," Faith warned her even as her head tilted to allow Joy to press a kiss to her cheek.

"I would never say that, Mama," she answered sweetly. "At least not to your face. You're still young enough to do it."

Faith's eyes narrowed and Willow shook her head with a longsuffering sigh. "Joy, don't antagonize your mother. The two of you play nice." She patted Faith's shoulder affectionately. "Your Mama can say whatever she wants about being young enough to go without sleep, but _I'm_ going to take a nap and be happy about it." She finished her coffee with a pleased sigh. "It doesn't mean I'm old, though," she warned, pointing firmly at Joy.

"Of course not," Joy agreed mildly, smirking. Her expression sobered slowly and she swallowed. "Can we talk…later?"

Willow and Faith looked at each other, both nodding. "Of course," Willow stated, brow furrowing.

"Great," Joy said, shuffling her feet momentarily before she jogged into the yard and the sounds of punches against the heavy bag Faith kept suspended from the tree intermingled with Jack's laughter.

Faith sighed heavily and both hands pushed her hair back from her face. "Great," she echoed quietly.

It was after dinner, Sam and Mark had gone back to the hospital to take some dinner to Mark's father, and the younger kids were in bed, before Joy was alone with her parents, the teen dropping into the chair across from her mothers on the couch. "Can we do the talking thing now?" she requested quietly.

Willow sat up from where she was leaning against Faith, nodding as the Slayer turned the TV off. "Of course," she answered. Faith stayed silent, her arm stretched across the back of the sofa behind Willow.

"I don't want to know details - names, places, whatever like that - but I just want to ask you if they're out there. I don't want to find them, don't want to know them, but I'm curious."

Willow took a deep breath, feeling Faith's body tense beside her. "Only what you're sure you want to know," she promised.

"That's all I want to know," Joy said resolutely. "Just that. No names, no places, nothing like that."

"Okay," Willow agreed. "Your mother, she was seventeen…"

Joy shook her head. "Don't try and explain for her, Mom. Just if she's out there."

Faith leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, her chin resting on balled fists. "She's not, Joy. She's - she died." Willow's hand rested on her shoulder supportively and Faith cleared her throat roughly. "I'm sorry, baby."

Joy blinked quickly to clear her eyes, coughing as she glanced around the room, not letting her gaze settle on any one thing. "How - I mean, was it h-having me?"

Willow shook her head immediately. "No, sweetheart. It was a car accident. You were only two. You were already with us."

"So how did - why did she - no, I don't want to know," Joy cut herself off, shaking her head and breathing deeply.

"Joy, baby…" Willow whispered, her heart pounding sympathetically.

Ever Faith's daughter, Joy shook her head against the emotions she was feeling, carefully masking her expression. "What about…him?"

"He's alive," Faith answered, glancing over her shoulder to catch Willow's eyes.

"Okay," Joy said, mirroring Faith's posture and leaning forward to put her elbows on her knees and scrubbing at her hair with both hands. "Thanks for telling me."

Willow whimpered sympathetically, her heart breaking for her daughter. "Joy…"

"I'm okay, Mom," Joy insisted stubbornly.

"Well, I'm not," Willow said, choking up. "Joy…"

"Mom…" Joy stood up from her seat and crossed to her parents on the couch. "Let me in," she whispered, gesturing for her mothers to give her space to join them. Willow shifted sideways and Joy sat down in between them, turning to deliver her head into Willow's lap and putting her legs over Faith's.

The redhead immediately combed her fingers through brown curls, leaning over to press a kiss to her daughter's forehead, grateful that the teen was letting her comfort herself at least, even if Joy would insist that she didn't need it. Faith's hand found the back of her head, strong fingers rubbing tension in her neck away gently. "Thank you," Willow mumbled, leaning back.

Joy nodded, smiling reassuringly up at her mother. "Thanks for letting Mark and Sam stay over and eat dinner and everything," she said, changing the subject for all of their sakes.

"Sure thing, Joy," Faith stated, one hand knocking Joy's knees against each other.

"Can we watch TV or something?" the teen requested, stretching and making herself comfortable, turning on her side but leaving herself stretched across her parents' laps.

Faith obligingly turned the television back on and Willow resumed tracing her fingers through her daughter's hair. She only sighed when they landed on a basketball game, familiar with her girls' hobby.

The backdoor opened after a quick knock, Sam and Mark letting themselves in. "Hey, it's okay if we crash here again, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, come on in," Joy said, yawning and waving them in. "We just turned on the game, you guys. Come on. Get the lights. Ooh, and the chips," she requested. Sam was laughing as she joined them, dropping the bag of chips in the space in front of Joy's abdomen and taking a seat on the floor in front of the couch.

"I can sit on the floor," Mark offered, flipping the light switch and dropping the room into darkness.

Sam waved him off, eyes focused on the television. "There's a better line on the screen from here," she said. "You can have the chair." Mark shrugged and sat down, throwing his legs over one armrest so his long arm could reach the bag of chips.

"Can you reach them from down there?" Joy checked. "Or do I have to feed you?"

"I got it," Sam said, laughing. She reached backward and found the chips herself after a moment of searching. Joy's left hand adjusted the bag so that her friends could reach it more easily, her right hand moving unthinkingly to comb absently through Sam's hair while they watched the basketball game.

It took Willow a moment to notice the seemingly completely unconscious contact and she pinched Faith's arm on the back of the couch to get the Slayer's attention. Faith's head turned toward her but her eyes were still locked on the game, so Willow pinched the inside of her elbow, making her wife jump. "Will, what?" she asked in a hissing whisper.

The witch shot her eyes from Faith to Joy's hand, Faith's gaze following and spotting what Willow had noticed. She hummed in contemplation, not saying anything as she shrugged and met Willow's eyes in the dark. _"Looks like we might not be done talking,"_ Faith's voice in her head warned, drawing a heavy sigh from Willow.

* * *

Before anyone says that there aren't teachers so insensitive and horrible as to do what the teacher did to Joy - there totally are because it happened to a girl in one of my classes in high school - we were doing a genealogy project and she was adopted and the teacher threw a bitch fit about her not doing the report on her birth parents (who she did not know and had no desire to find)


	19. Chapter 19

Today's my birthday! See how nice I am to you guys? (also, my football team won yesterday, so I'm feeling generous)

* * *

The full moon overhead made the flashlights they were carrying inconsequential, the night air brisk and the leaves crunching as they lifted and moved on the wind. "So your mom found your dad?" Sam asked as they walked along the sidewalk.

"It's weird when you say it like that," Joy groused, kicking the leaves around her feet on the walkway. "My mom found…him."

"But your - the birth mother is…she died?" Sam gave her friend a considering look.

Joy sighed. "I don't want to talk about this," she said, frustrated. "I have parents. I have a brother and a sister. I have aunts and uncles and a grandfather. Who the hell is Jenkins to say that's not my family?"

"Joy, I'm sorry." Sam rubbed her friend's shoulders supportively. "She's wrong. She's stupid, and she's wrong." Sam tugged on her arm, steering them onto an empty bus stop bench at the edge of the sidewalk and sitting down with her.

Joy leaned forward and raked both hands through her hair. "I know I was stolen from an orphanage and abandoned in a sewer before I turned three, but when the hell did my life get so complicated?"

Sam laughed, one hand still rubbing her friend's back. "I don't know, but I'm sorry." Her arm curled around Joy's back and leaned her head against her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Joy exhaled heavily, grateful for the support. "Mark's dad got out of the hospital today, right?"

"Yeah, they're at home now."

"Good, that's good," Joy said, head still hanging. Her ears perked up as she heard leaves crunching and she lifted her head. "Sam…" It was a full moon on a Hellmouth, the sound could be anything, but her mothers would kill her if something happened to Sam because they were out on a wolf night. "We might need to move now…" Joy warned her, standing up.

"Freeze," Faith's voice countered out of nowhere, her tension obvious. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing out here, both of you?"

Joy's shoulders rose around her ears and she didn't turn to face her mother. "Honey, they're fine, calm down," Willow's voice had an edge as well, but she was clearly keeping her calm better than her partner. "Girls, we need to go home."

"Joy, you _know_ how dangerous it is to be out tonight," Faith said, spinning in a circle and growling in her throat as she carefully surveyed their surroundings.

"Mama, it's okay," Joy cut in. "We're being careful. And we haven't seen any vamps."

"Any _what_?" Willow questioned with a pointed tone, eyes shooting toward Sam.

"Mom, she's seen me stake a vampire before," Joy said, rolling her eyes.

Willow groaned. "I didn't hear that!" she declared, her eyes closing. "You're both coming home with us, _now_."

Faith was growling and grumbling under her breath as Sam stood up at Joy's side, the Slayer keeping up her indistinguishable protesting as they set off. Willow let her lead, the teens in the middle while she brought up the rear. She knew Faith was distracted, frustrated, but the tension that straightened the brunette's spine was unmistakable.

Faith's arm shot out to stop their progress and she kept her voice low. "Will, get them out of here. _Now_." The hand that wasn't extended reached under the bottom edge of her leather jacket, fingers curling around the grip of her tranquilizer pistol at the small of her back. She didn't look behind her, hearing Willow dragging both teenagers back with her.

Faith moved forward in an effort to get the werewolf to pursue her and leave the others. Willow knew better than to run, keeping her pace slow and steady in the other direction. Faith could hear Joy call for her but forced it out of her mind, concentrating on the stealthy stalker in the darkness.

"Here poochy. Come here, doggy," Faith called quietly. "Were-doggy!" She raised her voice as she picked up her pace and started jogging. "Come on, you son of a bitch," she yelled, hearing the monster tracking her, letting her lead it away from Willow and Joy and Sam.

They were organized now, more than they'd been in Sunnydale, they had facilities for keeping werewolves once they were sedated, but she needed to get it to show itself before she could shoot it - the gun only had two shots before she'd have to reload. She just hoped Willow would think to call and warn them that she was coming.

She turned to run backwards, trying to keep from being attacked from behind, not eager to get bitten. She didn't want to be a werewolf any more than Willow wanted to partner with one again. The move was just in time and she threw herself backward to dodge the werewolf's lunge. Both feet shot up as her shoulders hit the rough asphalt, the kick throwing the werewolf over her head. The gun had bounced out of her hand when she dropped and she rolled over to grab it from the surface of the street, firing a quick shot that only grazed the monster's shoulder.

Cursing, she stabilized herself on both elbows and fired again, aiming for center mass. The shot connected and the wolf collapsed heavily to the road with a growling whimper. Faith let herself slump in relief, taking a deep breath. Then there was another growl and clawed feet planted in the middle of her back and another werewolf used her as a stepping stone, claws ripping through her leather jacket and shirt and into her flesh as the weight shoved her to the street breathlessly.

She rolled with a groan of pain, feeling her shirt grow wet and hot with her blood. The wolf was nuzzling its unconscious partner and Faith dug in the pocket of her jeans for the next cartridge of tranquilizers while she used her legs to push herself backwards along the roadway, gasping and dropping the darts as her fresh wounds hit the edge of the sidewalk. "Shit," she groaned, rolling into the gutter as the new wolf dove at her. A punch to the wolf's kidneys bought her a second when it hit, her neck barely clear of snapping jaws. Her left hand was searching blindly and she prayed that the darts hadn't fallen into the sewer drain. Fortunately, her grasping fingers landed on the cartridge and she fumbled it into her palm, gripping tight and stabbing it into the werewolf's flank.

The wolf fell forward onto her, unconscious, and her wounds scraped the sidewalk edge as the weight pinned her. "Damn, that hurts," she gasped, both hands working under the heavy creature's shoulders and shoving it to the side. "Shit," she cursed again, letting her eyes close as she leaned her head back against the concrete. Both wolves were unconscious and she squirmed her phone out of her pocket, holding a speed-dial button.

"I'm going to need a pickup," she groaned. "Two unconscious werewolves. Near the bus stop on 16th Street." She coughed weakly. "Okay, thanks. Have you heard from Willow? Did she get the girls home okay?" The answer made her relax and she groaned loudly as the contact between her slashed back and the ground sent pain lancing through her chest. "Shit, that hurts!" The concerned voice in her ear made her groan again from frustration rather than pain. "No, I do _not_ need an ambulance. Call one and I'll kick your ass! Tell Willow and I'll kick your ass!"

She hung up with an impatient grumble, shoving her phone back in her pocket and forcing herself up with both hands, stumbling and stretching as she paced and waited for the retrieval team.

"That looks bad," the young Slayer who popped first out of the van announced, giving her teacher a grimace.

"It feels pretty bad," Faith agreed, still pacing and wincing. "Give me a new shirt," she directed, gesturing toward the van.

"You're not going to tell your wife?"

Faith glared. "Don't be an idiot," she denied. "Of course I'll tell her." She tore off her ruined jacket and shredded shirt, ignoring her own public nudity for the moment. "Don't worry about me. Don't you have a job to do here? Get these poor bastards back to the containment place and get me a new shirt so I can go home already."

The younger woman nodded, climbing back into the van and holding a tank top out the back of the door. Faith snatched it and tugged it over her head. The cuts and scratches would be visible, but Willow would find them one way or another. It would be easier for her if she didn't try and hide it.

Pain made running difficult and it was only two blocks before she felt lightheaded and had to stop, leaning over in the bushes while she tried to keep her stomach from revolting on her. Once it was settled, she started home again, limping slowly rather than try and run.

Willow had both teenagers at the kitchen table, pinning them in their seats with a steely glare and crossed arms, but her stern posture wilted when Faith limped in. "Oh my God!" the witch greeted her, both hands already tugging her wife's shirt up. "Off. Let me see," she ordered, not caring that their daughter and her friend were sitting at the kitchen table watching.

Joy's eyes widened as Faith let Willow strip off her shirt, the Slayer giving her an apologetic grimace as the teen clapped a hand over Sam's eyes. "Ma!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Faith protested, letting Willow turn her to get a look at her back.

"Oh my _God_, Faith! What happened? It looks like it nearly ripped you in half!" Willow yelped, both hands over her mouth.

"There were two," Faith groaned. "I had the first one down and the second one caught me off guard. I was its launch pad. Stupid big claws shredded my favorite leather jacket!" She tried to reach behind her and Willow slapped her hand away sharply.

"Don't touch!"

Faith sent her a petulant glare over her shoulder. "I wasn't gonna! Is it bleeding?"

Willow put a hand on her back, the Slayer hissing at the contact and then groaning as the witch's hand appeared in front of her face, her palm coated in red, sticky blood. "Faith…" she moaned. "It looks bad," she said, voice strained.

Faith turned, again heedless of the fact that she was in just a bra and jeans, and used her discarded loaner shirt to wipe the blood from Willow's hand. "Babe, I'm okay. It's bleeding, but that's okay. I'm going to heal up and it won't even scar, I promise."

Willow hiccupped back tears and shook her head as she let Faith draw her into a hug. "You haven't seen it." Faith's mouth opened to protest and the witch shook her head. "No, don't you lie to me, Faith Lehane."

"I'm not lying, Will," Faith insisted. "I'm the one wearing these scratches. I can feel them, babe, and they're going to be okay. So they _might _scar, but scars are hot, right? You know I've had worse than this before. Trust me, honey."

Willow groaned, leaning into her. "You better be right or I'm going to kick your butt," she promised. "You didn't, the wolf didn't…"

"No bites, I swear," Faith cut her off earnestly. "I would never let that happen to you again." Her voice was lower and she buried her face in red hair. "I'm going to be okay, Willow. I promise you." She could feel the deep gouges on her back starting to knit, the deep muscle tissue in her back, near the bones, and it made her gasp. "I'm okay," she repeated when Willow stiffened in her arms. "Sweetheart, I'm okay. I need to take a shower and get cleaned up but everything is fine," she stated.

Willow nodded, trying to calm herself. Faith was strong, Faith was steady, and Faith was pale from blood loss, and she could feel her heart rate rising despite her best effort to keep calm. "Okay, I'm okay, you're okay, the girls are okay…"

Joy spoke up at that, clearing her throat. "Mom, I'm…"

"No! Just, not right now, Joy," Willow interjected anxiously, feeling herself stressing out. She knew she was being short with her daughter, but she couldn't help herself.

"Will, calm down," Faith coaxed softly, giving the teens an apologetic smile. "You're scaring the kids," she whispered. "And I'm naked, so I need to take a shower. Can you keep it together or do you need to come with me? We can talk to Joy in the morning…"

"Mama…" Joy tried again.

Faith shook her head, lifting one hand to stop her. "Baby girl, it's going to be okay. You don't have to apologize to me. I'm your mother, I'm going to protect you, no matter what," she stated. "Don't apologize to me for that. And I'm going to be fine. Mom's just a little worked up." She took a deep breath, considering. "Sam, you can stay here tonight and you two just go on up to bed, okay? Jack and Hope are sleeping over at Buffy's, so you can take one of their beds if you'd like. Don't worry, they both have big kid beds. We need to talk to you both, but it'll wait until the morning. Let's give Mom some time to calm down, alright?"

"Faith…" Willow started, the Slayer's hand covering her mouth immediately.

"Girls, go, please," Faith requested, jerking her head toward the stairs.

Sam fled immediately, but Joy hesitated at the stairwell. "Mama, Mom, I'm really sorry," she said, voice low. "I never would…"

"Joy, you weren't doing anything wrong. It was before curfew and, yeah, it was a wolf night, but you didn't do anything wrong," Faith stated, winking reassuringly. "Sorry I was naked in front of your friend." She heard Sam laugh on the stairs and she raised her voice. "Sorry, Samantha," she called.

"No problem, Mrs. L.," Sam called back.

"You've seen me topless, you need to start calling me Faith," the brunette responded.

Joy coughed, shaking her head at her mother. "I think I'd rather you didn't," she said, shooting a look at her friend. Sam just giggled and Joy sighed. "I never would have gotten you hurt, Mama."

"I know that, Joy," Faith promised. "It was not your fault. It was nobody's fault." She winked reassuringly. "Werewolves happen. Why do you think we were out there? It wasn't to look for you." A cocky grin appeared. "It was practically Slayer date night, okay?"

Joy nodded, breathing deeply. "I'm glad you're okay, Ma." She opened her eyes without realizing that she'd closed them. "I love you."

Faith smiled, arm curling around Willow's shoulder and pulling the silent witch to rest her head against her shoulder. "I love you," she echoed. "I'm glad you're okay, too." She cleared her throat. "Get some sleep, okay? We'll talk in the morning." She grinned and glanced down at herself. "I'll even wear a shirt." That earned her a smile and a laugh, the teen nodding before she went up the stairs after her friend.

Faith led Willow to the table, coaxing the redhead into a chair and sitting down beside her. "Willow…"

"Faith, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to panic like that. I freaked out on Joy!" Willow said, realization settling in. "Poor Joy," she breathed.

Faith laughed, shaking her head. "Babe, Joy's tough. She's a good, strong, tough kid, okay? She can handle a little freak out." The brunette was leaned forward to avoid bleeding on the back of the chair and she cupped the witch's face, fingers combing through her hair. "Are you okay?"

Willow sighed, nodding. "I'm okay," she said. "I just…you know I don't handle you almost dying well."

"Well, nobody's dying," Faith promised. "I know it hits closer to home because it was a werewolf, same as if I'd been shot…" Willow whimpered and Faith brushed her cheek with a thumb. "You've lost people that you love, I know that…"

"Stop," Willow interjected hoarsely. "Don't put yourself on that list…"

"I'm not," Faith stated emphatically. "I'm not - I won't do that to you, but you know why I did that tonight… it was you and it was Joy…"

Willow nodded, a blink sending tears over her cheeks. "I know, and I'm glad, sweetie. Thank you…"

"Will, don't thank me for saving our daughter," Faith cut her off. "You'd have done the same thing if I hadn't been there. You got them out of there. You did good, baby."

Willow gave her a tearful smile and the Slayer grinned. "Faith…"

"Come on," Faith prompted, standing up with a grimace. "We're going upstairs and you can wash my back for me, see for yourself that it's not that bad." She offered a hand and Willow stood up, hissing in sympathy as she followed Faith up the stairs. "I know it looks bad, babe. It's not hurting so much anymore, just kind of throbbing. The water will feel good."

"The water will burn like a bitch," Willow corrected. "I'll use a sponge. A cool sponge," she said, one hand up to feel the heat radiating off of Faith's back. "Faith…"

Faith turned at the top of the stairs, grabbing Willow's hands and pulling her along. "It's _okay_, Will." Grin in place, she kicked off her boots as she stepped backward toward their bedroom. "I'm going to be fine. What else can I say to make you feel better, babe?"

Willow shook her head, sighing. "You can't say anything, Faith. Just let me flinch and worry about you, okay? I'm your wife, Faith. It's my job to be anxious because you got attacked by a werewolf. Let me do my job."

Faith nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "Alright. I'm going to do my best to do that, okay? I swear." She laughed. "Just remember that I'm a bit…"

"Stubborn, hardheaded, infuriating…" Willow supplied adjectives without prompting.

Faith sent her a smirking glare. "I was _going _to say independent, but I guess those work, babe. Just be patient with me and I'll be patient with you too, okay?"

"Okay," Willow agreed, taking a deep breath and swatting the Slayer's hands away from the hem of her shirt. "Nope," she denied a moment later. "My clothes are staying on. You strip and sit on the edge of the tub so I can wash your back. It can still get infected, Slayer healing or not."

"Fine," Faith agreed with a sigh. "This is not the sexy shower I was hoping for, but _fine_." She undid her own belt and the button of her jeans, pushing the pants down her hips and shaking them off her legs. "See how good I'm being?"

"You're doing great," Willow agreed sarcastically. "Speaking of Slayer healing…"

"We need to figure out how much Joy's told Sam," Faith finished. "I know. But it's obvious she's known for a while, about vampires, at least, but it'll keep until tomorrow."

"What if she knows about you?" Willow questioned, tone mild.

Faith reached behind her and Willow swatted her hands away from the catch of her bra. "Come on, Will! Okay, no, I meant thank you," she corrected herself. "If Sam knows, then we'll talk to her. Joy's no idiot, though. She gets that from her mom," Faith stated confidently. "She wouldn't have told Sam if she didn't think Sam could handle it. It's good that she doesn't have to lie to someone in her life." She turned her head as Willow's hands helped her sit down on the edge of the bathtub. "It's good, Will."

Willow nodded, blinking. "You're right. It's good. You're right. I want that for her. I don't want her to have to lie." She reached around Faith to turn on the water, adjusting the temperature carefully. "Maybe we should invite Mark over. Have the talk with him too."

Faith yawned helplessly, her adrenaline bleeding away and her pain intensifying. "Yeah, sure, we can do that," she agreed. "In the morning, though, right? Because I want to sleep really bad right now, and this _does_ hurt like a bitch."

Willow cleared her throat but refrained from saying 'told you so,' gently beginning to clean the deep gouges on Faith's shoulders and back. She worked carefully, fingers light and ginger. Years of tending after Faith and Buffy had given her a light touch, but she still felt every twinge from her partner as thought she was being torn herself.

Faith let out a deep breath as she finished, the Slayer laughing gently. "You've gotten good at that over the years."

"Unfortunately, I've had to practice a lot," Willow answered her. "Sit still and I'll put some bandages on these. I don't want you bleeding on our sheets."

"Yes, ma'am," Faith answered dutifully, not moving. Willow taped gauze squares in place and helped her to bed, Faith biting her tongue the entire time to keep from snapping at the redhead she knew was only trying to be loving and considerate. It wasn't Willow's fault that it was driving her crazy.

Willow fussed with her blankets, Faith catching her hands. "Just get used to it," Willow advised, exasperated herself. "Your ass is mine to do with what I will for the next week, at least."

Faith sighed, but nodded. "Why do I think that is going to be less sexy than it sounds?" she complained.

"You promised you would lay there and take it," Willow said, unable to stop a smirk as she teased.

Faith's jaw dropped. "Oh, you are a _mean_ woman! Mean!"

Willow shrugged. "You're the one who's going to sleep practically naked."

"You're the one who won't touch," Faith countered. "I have super-healing, remember? You couldn't, wouldn't hurt me, Willow."

Willow frowned, shaking her head. "Turn over. I was serious about you not bleeding on my sheets." She traced a thumb over Faith's eyebrows and down the top of her nose. "You wake me up if you need _a-ny-thing_," she ordered, dragging the word out to three syllables.

"O-kay," Faith agreed, mimicking Willow's slow stretching of the word and obligingly moving onto her side and holding her arm open for Willow. "This is what you're getting," she said stubbornly, sure that Willow would rather she sleep on her front to avoid putting pressure on her injured back. "I'm going to hold you, just like I always do. I'm not giving it up and I think you need it." She cut her eyes toward Willow's empty spot. "You need to know that I'm here, all night, and not going anywhere," she insisted. "Now, will you _please_ get in here? I'm beat, Will."

Willow hesitated for a moment, but obeyed, sliding back into the space and letting Faith's arm curl around her. "Anything hurts, you wake me up," she ordered a final time, stretching one arm out to click the lamp off.

"Got it," Faith responded, voice heavy as she was dragged toward unconsciousness. "I love you, Willow," she murmured as she faded.

The rarely spoken sentiment was the last straw for Willow's already fragile self-control and she had to bite her lip to keep the hiccupping tears low enough that they wouldn't disturb Faith. She knew that the Slayer would be upset to know that she was crying, but she couldn't help herself, didn't think she'd ever be able to help herself when it came to potentially losing another person she loved. These tears were a relief and a release, though, and she didn't stop herself from snuggling back into Faith's embrace.

Dragging herself out of it the next morning was a more difficult endeavor, the Slayer continually wrapping her back up and dragging her back in every time she managed to get a limb free. "Faith, wake up!" she whispered pleadingly. "You've got to let go!"

"Don't wanna," Faith countered, her eyes still closed and her voice thick with sleep.

Willow slapped lightly at the arms around her waist, but they didn't budge. "At least let me check your back, babe. Please?"

Faith just stubbornly nuzzled her face into the back of Willow's neck. "As hot as you playing nurse is, I like you right where you are."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?" the witch reasoned, giggling when her wife groaned and finally released her. "Just kidding, I'm fine," she announced, rising up onto her knees to keep Faith from getting a grip on her again. "Turn over, please."

Faith grumbled petulantly but obeyed, rolling onto her stomach and crossing her arms under her head while she let Willow peel her bandages off one at a time. "How's it looking back there?" she questioned, voice still heavy and tired.

"Better," Willow admitted gratefully. "But not great. Doesn't look like any of them got infected, but there are a few deep ones that still could…" Her fingers trailed lightly between the scratches, the contact making Faith twitch. "Oh! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Faith laughed without lifting her head. "No, of course not," she said. "It's healing, so it's itchy. It felt good, Will."

The witch sighed in relief, trailing her fingers across the top of Faith's shoulders. "Okay, good. I'd scratch your back for you, but I don't want to hurt you."

"Maybe tomorrow, then," Faith said, her head settling more comfortably into her crossed arms. "You can make it up to me."

Willow laughed at that, patting the brunette lightly on the butt as she climbed off the bed. "You stay there, I'm going to get some fresh bandages for your back. A few of them are still bleeding."

"Fine," Faith complacently agreed. She lifted her head as Willow sat down at her side. "You're not thinking anything crazy like me being on bed rest or anything, are you?"

"No," Willow admitted. "But only because I know you wouldn't let me do it."

"Good." Faith's head lowered again and she sighed as Willow carefully replaced her bandages. She got a kiss to the shoulder when Willow finished her chore, the redhead carrying the trash to the bathroom. Faith was sitting up when she returned and she watched as Faith gingerly stretched, rotating both arms with no twinges, and cracking her neck to either side. "What?" she questioned when she noticed Willow watching silently from the doorway of their bathroom.

"Nothing. Just watching you."

Faith smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Like what you see, don't you?"

Willow couldn't help smiling and she nodded. "I do, but stop thinking what I know you're thinking. You're still hurt, so that's not happening."

Brown eyes narrowed and she huffed. "No gratitude sex?"

"No gratitude sex," Willow confirmed, head shaking from side to side slowly as she moved forward, restraining a sigh when she stepped over one of Faith's shirts on the floor. "Not yet, anyway," she leaned over to whisper against Faith's lips, not resisting when a strong hand found the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. An arm caught Faith's lower back as the Slayer tried to lean back and lead Willow back into bed, but the witch wouldn't do it. Instead, she pulled back from the kiss and took a deep breath. "Not yet," she breathed the reminder, giving her a soft kiss as an apology.

Faith growled in frustration and fell backwards only to arch up again as soon as her back hit the bed. "God _damn_ it!" she cursed, leaning over her crossed legs to take a deep breath.

Willow sighed her name, soothing fingers trailing over the back of her neck. "Let's get up. You can take something for the pain and I'll make breakfast, okay? Bacon and eggs. Your favorite."

"We're out of bacon," Faith groaned without lifting her head. "The girls had BLTs for lunch yesterday."

"I'll go get some more."

Faith leaned up to give her a pained smirk, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, babe. I'm good with whatever." She winked teasingly. "And if you go to the store, you can't keep me in constant eye range." Her smirk relaxed. "Don't think I haven't noticed what you're doing."

Willow gave her a light swat to the back of her head for the teasing. "Come on," she said, grinning over her shoulder as she turned and left the room deliberately. "Don't forget a shirt!" she called from the hall.

Faith grinned, elbows on her knees as she swung her legs out of bed, feeling the twinge and pull of healing muscle in her back as she moved. It was sore and constant, but only edged toward unbearable when there was contact with one of the wicked tears. She threw on one of her standard tank tops and a pair of loose basketball shorts and padded barefoot down to the kitchen.

Sam was on the couch in front of the television and she waved in greeting. "Good morning, Faith."

"Hey, so almost seeing me topless _will_ work to get you to stop calling me Mrs. L," Faith rejoiced, grinning.

"Don't remind me," Joy groaned as she joined them, jogging down the stairs right behind her mother. "Mama, how are you feeling?" She could see the tops of the slashes over the top edge of her mother's shirt.

Faith shrugged, rolling her shoulders gingerly. "Doing better. Just sore until I get contact on the back. Mom's better," she said, glancing toward the kitchen and lowering her voice. "You know she didn't mean to snap last night…"

"I know," Joy agreed, nodding when Faith squeezed her shoulder. "Should we…do we need to do something to keep her calmed down?"

"I'm not crazy, you know," Willow called from the kitchen. "At least, not currently. And you two don't whisper as quietly as you think you do."

Faith took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Now you're getting me in trouble!" She raised her voice. "And no one thought you were crazy, babe! It was just stress and you're feeling better now."

"Five-by-five!" Willow called back.

Faith grinned proudly, winking at Joy. "We do need to talk," she said, giving both of the teens a more serious look. "You know that, right?"

Joy grimaced, glancing between her friend and her mother. "Yeah, okay. How mad are you?"

Faith pursed her lips, giving her an amused glare. "It'll keep until after breakfast," she said, pushing Joy lightly toward the couch. "What we watching?"

Willow called them in for breakfast shortly, a bottle of painkillers already sitting next to Faith's plate. Sam and Joy were quiet as they started picking at their food, looking at each other and not speaking. Willow and Faith exchanged amused looks, chuckling. The girls looked up when the door opened, Mark letting himself in. He drew up in surprise at the silent breakfast party. "I _was_ invited, wasn't I?"

"Of course you were," Willow said, smiling and waving him in. "Come on in."

He glanced at his friends, both girls silent and tense. "Is something going on?" Mark asked cautiously.

"You called Mark?" Joy questioned instead.

"We need to talk to the three of you," Willow told her. "If you told them the family secret, we need to talk about it, about what it means for the three of you." She gave them each a look. "It's a dangerous secret, Joy. You know that."

Faith cleared her throat, shaking her head at Willow. "It'll wait until after we eat," she reminded her gently. "You guys eat your breakfast, okay?"

She dug into her food deliberately, getting an appreciative smile from Joy, her daughter following her lead. Sam and Mark followed suit tentatively, not sure what was going on with the adults. They'd known Joy's family secret for months now, thinking it some kind of strange joke at first. Joy insisted, but didn't try to prove anything, letting them notice things and realize the truth for themselves. Faith's inordinate strength, Willow's way of making things happen, it all fit with what Joy had told them. And then they'd encountered their first vampire.

Joy had staked it, of course, reacting on a well trained instinct. Willow hadn't wanted her to patrol, not eager to put her daughter in the danger she'd faced with Buffy at the same age, but Faith had insisted that all of their kids know the basics of self-defense, of fighting vampires.

Then the dust had cleared and Sam and Mark been left staring in fascination at their best friend.

After they'd each pushed their plates back, they were staring around the table in silence, Willow finally breaking the quiet. "Why don't we start with what you each know…"

Mark and Sam exchanged looks and Joy cleared her throat. "Well, as we all know, I know everything," she declared with a smirk. "Mom's a badass witch, Mama's a vampire Slayer."

"Hey!" Faith protested.

"Who is also a badass," Joy added obligingly. "She totally took down two werewolves last night!"

Faith smirked, rolling her eyes. "Not exactly what I was getting at, but thank you, I'm glad you're proud, Joy." She glanced at Sam and Mark. "You guys know everything?"

Sam glanced at Mark and he nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I mean, I guess so," Sam spoke up. "I mean, Joy told us about the witch thing, and the Slayer whatever, and we've seen…vampires."

The Slayer sighed. "Okay, so we're out, so to speak. Okay… You both understand what it means, don't you? It's not some kind of joke. It's real and it's dangerous." She gestured to Willow. "She is the most powerful woman in the world. I'm strong, really strong, but she could mop the floor with me. She can literally do anything you can think of."

"Awesome," Sam whispered.

"But she's really careful," Joy said. "It's not a game. Mom's got to be really cautious."

Willow swallowed hard. "The magic - it's like leashing a bolt of lightning. It's very dangerous."

The teens nodded dutifully. "Yes, ma'am."

"And Mama's got super-strength, speed, reflexes, heightened senses, fast healing," Joy continued.

"Like a superhero?" Mark questioned.

Faith shrugged. "I can't fly or anything, but I could take you in arm wrestling anytime," she offered, smirking. "So, you know. That doesn't mean that you can do what we do. We've been doing this since we were your age, and we're only alive now because we're good at what we do. Knowing the secret doesn't mean that you have any way to use the information, got it?"

"You don't…patrol - or, or do _anything_ like that, do you?" Willow asked suddenly, voice stressed.

"Will…" Faith hissed, able to see her witch starting to panic. "It's _okay_. They're all fine, babe." Willow gave her a strained, weak smile, and Faith winked reassuringly. "Come on, Will. You're never like this. Remember? We're badass." She grinned across the table at Joy. "Our daughter's badass."

Joy reached over the table and squeezed Willow's hand, letting her mother lace their fingers. "Mom, of course we don't patrol. It's always just been an accident. The first time we were coming out of the movie theater."

"They're good kids, Will," Faith said supportively. "And Joy's a strong fighter. You know that. You're just letting yourself get worked up about this."

"I have a right to, Faith!" Willow reminded her sharply. "She's our _daughter_! They're children! I know we were the same age when we started this, and it's a horrible double standard, but it's Joy! And her friends! That's how we started out, remember?"

"Hey!" Faith rebuked her. "Don't snap at me, here! Joy is okay. Sam is okay. Mark is okay. I'm okay. You're the one who's not okay." Her voice grew gentler and she leaned forward to catch Willow's eyes. "What can we do to make you okay here, babe?"

Willow groaned, rolling her eyes. "Don't treat me like I'm crazy again, Faith. I'm not being crazy. You never saw me being _really_ crazy…"

"I know that!" Faith interjected earnestly. "But I've seen you protective like this. You remember? I've gotten one or two _minor_ injuries - concussions, broken bones, stuff like that," Willow snorted in disbelief at the qualification and Faith smirked, "along the way here, and I seem to recall some _major_ freaking out from you, babe." She directed her gaze to the others at the table. "Joy, did I ever tell you that that's how I got Mom to admit that she loves me?"

"No," Joy answered, smiling fondly at her parents. "Aunt Buffy only ever told me about you two hooking up. I never heard that story. What did you do?"

"She almost got herself killed going in without me, and then checked out of the hospital with broken bones all over." Willow smiled as she remembered, the expression genuine.

Faith laughed as she picked up the story, "And I get home and Mom had busted into my apartment…"

"I didn't break in! I had a key," Willow explained defensively.

"Let me tell it!" Faith grinned, pleased when she got a laugh. "So your mom completely broke into my apartment and I'm on these crutches, limping up the stairs to the, what was it, babe, the third floor of a walkup? Doesn't matter, anyway, I open the door and she's packing up clothes, my clothes…"

"You said I was leaving you, said I was going to have to break up with you to your face if I wanted to leave," Willow interjected, giving her a pointed look.

The brunette winked. "But then you shoved me down on the couch and told me that you loved me." She smirked sideways at Joy. "I had broken ribs and a broken leg and she _shoved_ me! You believe that?"

"But she loves you," Joy reminded her, squeezing Willow's hand. "And you knew it after that. I bet it was worth it."

Faith nodded. "Of course it was." She gave her daughter a considering look and nodded her head toward Willow. "How about we make more of an effort to make sure Mom doesn't have to freak out over us anymore, okay? Maybe on wolf nights you all stay in somewhere?" Joy nodded determinately and Faith gave her a smile.

"You guys know the secret, that's fine, don't tell anybody, not that they'd believe you about any of it, but now you know, so you have to be careful because you know what's out there in the dark." She pinned them each with a serious look. "Everyone else gets to go through life and they don't know. They get to walk around at night and they don't have a reason to be scared. You guys don't get to have that anymore. So, remember that it is serious and it is dangerous."

The three friends exchanged looks and Sam and Mark nodded resolutely. "We get it, Mrs. L," Sam promised. "We're careful. We know and we're careful."

"Hey, now, what's with the Mrs. L. stuff again?" Faith asked, shaking her head. "I thought we finally got past that last night."

"Sam calls my mother by her name now because my other mother stripped her shirt off here in the kitchen in front of us," Joy explained, rolling her eyes at Mark.

He grinned appreciatively. "Nice! That's hot." He extended a fist bump to Sam as Joy dropped her head to the table with a groan and a thump. Sam was blushing brightly, but answered the gesture, knocking her fist against his.

"I know she's hot and you all think I'm a crazy person, but I'm going to need you both to stop checking out my wife," Willow requested.

"It was medical," Joy agreed, voice muffled by the table. "It wasn't like they were making out - not that I haven't seen _that _here in the kitchen…where I eat…" Mark and Sam exchanged glances and shrugged simultaneously with matching grins on their faces. "I need new friends," Joy moaned. "Friends that haven't seen my mother topless!"

Willow laughed, starting to relax. "They're in on the family secret, sweetheart. If you get new ones now, Mama has to recite her little speech all over again."

"But if we did it again, maybe you wouldn't be quite such a spaz next time," Faith teased, one arm crossing her chest to scratch absently at the opposite shoulder, her healing back itching like crazy.

"Okay, I spazzed. I'm sorry," Willow said, taking a deep breath. "That's not how I normally act. I apologize, Faith, Joy, Sam, Mark." She mustered a smile for the teens. "I always freak out on Faith when something like this happens, and it's new having it happen with you three, it's new and it's scary, and I don't like it at all."

Faith smirked, amused, and leaned over to press a kiss to side of Willow's head. "Who'd have thought that I'd be the one calming you down, huh?"

Willow's eyes narrowed, and she mussed her partner's hair petulantly. "Shut up. You're _always_ the one calming me down, remember?"

"No, not that, I mean, it's kind of great, right? I'm the reasonable parent! I think it's kind of great," Faith declared, pressing another kiss to her cheek and laughing as Willow shoved her shoulder.

"Fine, you're _reasonable_, whatever!" Willow countered, her eyes rolling. Faith bent her arm and curled it up behind her, straining herself trying to scratch her back. "Stop that and turn your chair around." Faith used both legs to kick her chair back onto the back legs and then one leg, balancing without apparent effort as she shifted her weight and turning it to let it drop onto four legs in a position where Willow could reach her back.

Faith hadn't even noticed her display, but Mark and Sam had the same stunned looks on their faces while Joy was grinning proudly. "So - hot," Mark breathed unconsciously.

Joy groaned loudly. "She's got super-hearing, you…" She grabbed her friends' wrists on either side, and pulled them both up. "We're leaving now."


	20. Chapter 20

The high school gym was crowded and loud, but Willow was able to spot Xander and Buffy as they entered and she poked Faith, the Slayer whistling sharply to signal her counterpart. The Scoobies joined them in the bleachers, taking the two seats in front of the women.

"Did we miss anything? We'd have been here ten minutes ago, but Xand was driving like an old lady!" Buffy said, elbowing her friend good-naturedly.

"Better than getting the car onto two wheels!" he shot back.

Buffy shrugged defensively. "That was _one_ time! And it was an emergency!"

Willow rolled her eyes at the familiar teasing between her best friends. "They're still just warming up," she answered Buffy's question. Joy got the rebound from a teammate's lay-up and passed it quickly across the key to keep their practice cycling smoothly. The coach's whistle sent them running for the sidelines and the group in the stands was joined by Sam and Mark, Joy's two best friends.

They sat down at the end of each of the two rows, Mark next to Xander and Sam next to Faith. "Hey guys," Sam greeted them, leaning over Mark's shoulder to steal a gummy worm from the bag he'd pulled out of his pocket.

"Got odds on the game?" Faith asked, ignoring the elbow that Willow put in her side.

Sam laughed, rolling her eyes. "We're supposed to win, but there generally aren't odds on high school basketball." She leaned forward, eyes intently watching the team getting ready. "Joy's nervous. I guess she heard there might be scouts coming tonight."

"She said she's nervous?" There was a frown on Faith's face. Her oldest daughter didn't admit to being nervous. Ever.

Sam scoffed audibly, head shaking. "No way." She pointed. "But look at her. She's all stiff."

Willow put another elbow in Faith's side, a smirk on her lips. This was not the first time they'd noticed Sam being hyper-aware of Joy, and Willow was convinced that Samantha had feelings for her best friend, citing her years of experience in the same situation. Buffy tended to concur with her friend's assessment, having helped Willow through the same circumstances in high school, and she shot Faith a look over her shoulder.

The brunette just sighed, narrowing her eyes at Buffy and pointing her firmly back to face forward. "She does seem to be kind of stiff," she admitted, eyes moving between her daughter and her friend. If Sam really did feel something for Joy beyond friendship then she felt kind of bad for the teen. Joy wasn't serious about anyone, but she dated. Or at least she had been dating. Lately there hadn't been anyone knocking on the door, though that was perfectly fine with Faith. None of the idiots, in her parental opinion, who'd shown up on her porch were anywhere near good enough for her girl. Watching that couldn't be easy for Sam if she wanted more from her relationship with Joy.

"She's got this," Xander said as the teams readied themselves for the jump ball. Joy proved her uncle right, getting a hand on the ball and tipping it toward a teammate.

The game went very well for Joy and her team, the girls controlling the ball and keeping their opponents on the defensive throughout the first half. Each team made adjustments during halftime that meant that there were a few goals scored against Joy's team, but the game ended in a victory for Joy and her squad. That didn't mean that the teen wasn't frustrated that they'd gotten scored on. They could all see it as she fell into her seat on the sidelines, chugging down half a bottle of water before she stood up to shake hands with the other team.

She had just finished talking with a middle aged man when her family joined her courtside, a towel around her neck to wipe away sweat. "Hey y'all. Pizza?" Pizza after a game had been a family ritual since she was a kid playing little league. "Just let me get a quick shower," she said when Willow gave her a nod. "It'll just be a few minutes."

"No hurry, sweetheart," Willow said, kissing her cheek without touching her and having to rise onto her toes to reach, their oldest daughter having passed both of her parents in height.

"Good game," added Faith, one hand patting a sweaty shoulder. "Proud of you."

Joy patted her face down, draining her water bottle. "Thanks Ma. Be back in a few." She exchanged fist bumps with Mark and a quick, one-armed hug with Sam, doing her best to keep from sweating on her friend. She let Sam say something into her ear, laughing and shaking her head as she put her at arm's length and backed away. "You're nuts. I'll be right back." She paused a few feet away and turned back around. "How about you all just go get us a table and I'll meet you there?" she suggested. "I'll be ten minutes behind you."

Willow nodded, hooking an arm through Faith's. "Ham and pineapple?"

Joy grinned. "Thank you, Mom. You're the best!"

The others turned to file out of the gym with the rest of the milling audience and Sam and Mark lingering on the court. "We'll catch a ride with Joy," Sam volunteered, waving with a smile.

"I bet you will," Willow whispered, Faith elbowing her for a change and Buffy laughing into a fist.

"Sounds good," Xander said, ignoring the women with a friendly smile. "We'll order your usual." He pushed Buffy toward the doors.

"She's so into Joy-rider," Willow declared as soon as they were outside.

Faith shrugged, hands in her pockets. "They're friends," she countered. "Best friends. You never hung out to wait on B in school?"

"Are you kidding?" Xander scoffed. "That's all we did!"

"See? Thank you, Xand!"

"That's not to say that I didn't also have a giant crush on her," he continued.

Willow laughed. "Or me on him."

Faith and Buffy exchanged looks, both grimacing. "This is getting uncomfortable," the blonde declared, Faith grunting her agreement. "_If_ Sam does like Joy, then it's something they have to figure out. We're on the outside this time."

"You're always on the outside of the girl crush issue," Willow reminded her teasingly, sticking her tongue out at her best friend.

"Unfortunately," Xander muttered, groaning when the comment earned him a sharp shot to the arm. "Kidding!" Buffy's eyes rolled as she slid into the seat of the car, Xander gesturing for her to move over while Faith got behind the wheel.

Their drinks had arrived, as well as a basket of bread knots, by the time the teenagers joined them. Joy was fresh from the shower and all three of them were laughing as they took their seats. Joy was barely in her chair before she leaned forward to grab a breadstick and shoved it whole into her mouth. Willow cleared her throat but didn't say anything, Joy shrugging. "I'm hungry!" she protested from behind one hand. "Sorry," she offered sheepishly.

Their waitress came around with refills and took their order, everyone chatting casually. Faith was talking through a play-by-play with Joy at her daughter's insistence, so it was easy to tell when the teen grew distracted. A glance over her shoulder showed a boy about Joy's age in a letterman's jacket and a mop of dark hair lingering against the far wall. It was obvious that he was looking at Joy. "You know that guy?" Faith questioned, sipping on her drink.

"Yeah. That's Alex. He's my partner in Chem. He has my notes." Joy pushed her chair back from the table. "Just excuse me for a minute."

Faith nodded, eyes tracking them subtly. A frown appeared between her brows as the two stepped outside the restaurant. "Hey." Willow's voice in her ear drew her attention back to the table. "She can take care of herself."

"Just hope she doesn't touch his jacket," Buffy joked, laughing.

"Why would she touch his jacket?" Mark wondered. "She's got her own letter jacket."

Xander sighed, rolling his eyes as Willow and Buffy both laughed. "It's a joke. We met a guy one time who had a magic letterman jacket. Any girls that touched it kind of went nuts for him." He narrowed his gaze between his two best friends. "I don't know why you two are laughing. You both got whammied by it. Buffy, I had to take a rocket launcher away from you." That drew laughs from Sam and Mark and the blonde ducked her head in embarrassment. "And Will, didn't you get interrupted trying to turn him into a chick?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. How is this dinner conversation?" Willow protested.

"The real question is how have I never heard this story before?" countered Faith. "This sounds like juicy dirt on both of you…"

"And that's exactly why no one's ever told you," Buffy interjected. "We went temporarily nuts and were magically induced to fall in love with a high school boy. We hurt Dawn's feelings, Willow tried to do a spell, and I almost blew up the high school…again. End of story."

Faith was grinning widely and she huffed when Willow elbowed her firmly. "It was a spell," she reminded her wife, shaking her head as Mark and Sam succumbed to laughter.

"What's so funny?" Joy asked as she dropped back into her seat and snagged a piece of pizza.

"Apparently Mom and B had magical wrong feelings for a teenager because of a letter jacket," Faith said, still chuckling.

Joy gave them both a horrified look and glanced around the restaurant. "Ma, how are you okay with this? Is it happening right now? It's not someone I know, is it?" She spun in her seat, looking around as though she could spot the culprit.

"No!" Willow yelped, glaring at Faith. "It was a long time ago! It's not as bad as it sounds. We were only twenty-one at the time." She elbowed her partner again. "And it was only a few months before I started sleeping with _you_."

Faith didn't flinch, still laughing. "At least I was already a hot chick. Saved you some effort! We just had to get drunk!"

"Come on, Ma," Joy said, rolling her eyes at her parents as Buffy grimaced more out of habit than any real distaste. She'd long since accepted that Faith and Willow had a good thing together, no matter how much she'd distrusted her counterpart Slayer with her best friend in the beginning. Now she just grumbled for show.

"You get your notes back?" Willow asked, Faith's arm curling across the back of her chair.

Joy nodded, chewing on her pizza. "You tutoring him or something?" Faith questioned curiously.

The younger brunette rolled her eyes. "There are other smart jocks in the world besides me," she teased. "He just missed a few days last week because of that flu that was going around so I told him he could borrow my notebook."

"There's nothing else going on?" wondered Buffy, the blonde Slayer ignoring Faith's glare from across the table.

"No!" Joy said with a laugh. "Why?"

"Cause the way he's still looking over here - it seems like maybe there's more going on," Buffy reasoned, clearing her throat when everyone started to turn and look.

Willow managed to sneak a glance over her shoulder. "Huh," she sighed, nodding. "Seems like a thing to me. What happened there?" This boy wasn't one of the ones who'd appeared on their porch.

Joy huffed, shrugging as she reached for another piece of pizza. "He might have asked me out or something once, but he's _just_ my Chem partner."

"So you didn't go out with him? You crushed him?" Xander's voice was lightly teasing and Joy rolled her eyes.

"I don't go out with every single person who asks me," she said defensively. "And not everyone I ask goes out with me."

"Just most of them," Sam teased, grinning when Joy gaped at her. "I'm just saying!"

The two girls shoved back and forth lightly for a few moments. "She can't help it she's hot, Sammy." Mark's comment drew both girls' gazes in his direction and Willow wisely moved her chair away from him.

"Son, you might want to get ready to run," Faith advised, smirking at him. Anyone else said something like that about her daughter right in front of her face and she'd be escorting them outside for a private conversation, but Mark had been Joy's best friend for years - she could decide for herself if she wanted to beat him up.

"It's okay, Ma," Joy denied, smiling with a raised eyebrow. "He knows I'm not _just_ hot."

Mark nodded, smiling crookedly himself. "And I know better than to hit on you too. Especially not in front of your… moms."

Sam bit her lip to hold back a smirk, amused by her friends' antics. "Yeah, you'd better," Joy muttered, kicking him under the table. "How'd we get talking about who I'm dating, anyway? Let's change the subject," she requested, looking around the table at her family. "Hey, so I met the coach from Ohio State. He said he was going to come back and see me play again."

"That's great, sweetie!" Willow said enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Me too," Faith agreed, earnest.

"Well, I haven't decided if I'm going to play my first semester. And also, I'm only a junior, so I don't have to deal with this yet," Joy reminded them all.

Faith gave her a wink, nodding. "You don't have to decide anything yet. Mom's the only one who picked out a major before she even started high school." Willow punched her shoulder but it had no effect on the Slayer.

"I think what your mother is _trying_ to say is play or don't, we're still proud of you," Willow responded.

"And if I didn't want to go to college at all…?" Joy's earnest expression only lasted a few seconds, the teen bursting into laughter as her mother's eyes widened. "Kidding, Mom. I'm going to college. I just haven't figured out what to do about basketball."

"Well, you've got the best grades of our year, so I bet you'll get scholarships even if you don't play," Sam pointed out. "I think you'll play, though."

Joy gave her a grin. "Yeah? You going to help me study?" There was something almost flirtatious in her tone and Willow's eyes widened again, the redhead stepping on Faith's foot under the table.

Sam responded without paying it any notice, her tone matching her friend's. "Of course I am. You don't seriously think you can make it without me, do you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Joy answered, smirking. Mark cleared his throat pointedly and the girls both leaned back in their seats, putting space between themselves.

"_Do you have an explanation for __**that**__?"_ Willow questioned Faith silently. _"Because, just best friends or not, I never was like __**that**__ with Buffy. Hell, I wasn't like __**that**__ when I had a crush on Xander!"_

Faith sighed, shaking her head in answer. She had no explanation for that. "So… that was weird," Xander announced what they were all thinking, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Care to share, ladies?"

"Nope," Joy denied with a firm tone and a shake of her head. "We do not care to share." She exchanged glances with Sam, winking just to tease the others she knew were watching.

"Now that's just mean," Mark commented. "You should just…"

"_You_ should just pass the pepperoni," Sam cut him off. He handed over the pizza with a glare, shaking his head at her. "Thank you," she added cheerfully. Mark just kept up his glare and slouched back into his chair beside Willow.

The Scoobies exchanged looks but none of them spoke. Xander started in on a joke to break the quiet, successful in making them all laugh, though the smile on Faith's face was a bit strained. She was still wearing the expression when they got home. The Slayer didn't even come inside the house, choosing instead to stay in the yard and box her punching bag under the familiar cover of moonlight.

Willow was watching her through the window when Joy got home from dropping off her friends, the teen sidling up beside her mother. "She's mad at me, isn't she?"

"Of course she's not," Willow denied immediately. "She's… Is there something going on with you and Sammy?" Joy didn't agree, but she didn't deny it either.

"Mom, it's… complicated," she finally said on a sigh.

Willow's gaze turned to her daughter. "But you like each other?" She smiled encouragingly. "Not to embarrass you, but we all saw how you two were together at the restaurant."

Joy's eyes rolled. "Yeah, thanks, Mom. Not embarrassing at _all_."

"It's not the first time we've noticed things like that, sweetheart," Willow told her gently. "You like each other, then. What's so complicated?"

"She's my _best friend_! It's complicated because if we went there and it went wrong, how could we still be friends?"

Her exasperation was clear in her voice, and Willow curled an arm up to rub her shoulders. "Hey, Joy, I've been around a while, and I've seen how you are with her, how she is with you. She's your best friend. That's not going to change." She laughed quietly. "Some people come into our lives and they're only there for a short time, for just a season, and that's how it's supposed to be. They touch our lives and move on. Other people come to us and they're forever. They're always going to be there. The impact they have on us will never fade away."

"You think Sam's going to be the first one or the second?" Joy wondered, crossing her arms over her chest, her voice gruff the way Faith's was when she was emotional and didn't want to show it. It made something in Willow's chest twist. She loved the similarities between her partner and their daughter.

Willow had to clear her throat before she could speak. "I don't know, baby. Just from what I've seen, I'd say the second, though. Even if it's not romantic, or if you try and it doesn't stay romantic, she's a part of your life. I don't think either one of you are going to walk away from that." She leaned against Joy's side and the teen curled an arm around her mother's shoulders. "You know how often your Aunt Buffy and I have fought. But she's my best friend. She has been since the first day I ever met her and she always will be. No matter what happens, I know she's going to be there."

Joy looked down at her, smile starting to curl the corners of her lips. "You think me and Sam have that?"

"You're the one who can answer that," Willow said, hugging her daughter. "What do you think?"

Joy chewed on her lip, considering. "I like to think so… You and Buffy have been through a lot, Mom."

Willow laughed. "Better us than you and Samantha. Not that you haven't been through things, and that you won't go through worse. Your Ma and I, and Buffy, we'd do anything we have to do to protect you from living a life like ours has been."

"Mom…"

"Sam's good for you and good to you. And no matter how life goes, you need a friend like her."

Sighing heavily, Joy watched Faith dancing in the dark with her punching bag. "So I shouldn't push it?"

"I didn't say that. I'm afraid I can't tell you what to do here, my love." Willow sighed herself. "I wish I could. But I think you'll never know until you talk to Samantha." She stretched up to kiss Joy's cheek. "And talk to your mother, please, or she'll stay out there all night." Willow ducked out of the embrace and smiled, nodding her head toward the door. "Whatever you decide to do about Sam, you know we're proud of you and we love you. Both of you."

Joy nodded, face resolute. "Thanks, Mom. It means - thanks," she repeated gruffly, reminding Willow so much of Faith that it was almost painful.

"You're _so_ like your Mama," she whispered, watching Joy's lip quirk in a smile. "She could never say what she wanted either." The smile slipped and Willow shook her head. "I don't mean that how it sounds, sweetie. Mama's actually gotten a lot better about it. What it means for you is that you - if you want a chance with Sam, don't be too afraid to speak up and tell her."

Joy nodded, scoffing quietly. "I could always get her drunk and see if we end up in bed." Willow shook her head warningly and slugged her daughter. "Kidding!"

"You had better be!" She delivered another swat to the teen's arm. "Go tell your Ma that plan and see what she says."

"It worked for her!" Joy countered with a laugh. "But I'm still not going to try it," she promised, dancing away from another blow. "Mom, thank you. Really."

Willow nodded, smiling. "Of course, sweetheart. I'll be upstairs reading if you need me."

"Yes, ma'am." Taking a deep breath, Joy opened the kitchen door and stepped onto the porch. She knew Faith heard her, the Slayer always aware of her surroundings. The punching ceased, the brunette standing still under the tree and catching her breath. "Can we talk?" Joy didn't raise her voice, knowing there was no need to speak louder.

She sat down on the top step and Faith moved closer, leaning against the railing at the bottom of the three short steps. "What's up?"

"Ma, don't be like that. I know you could hear me and Mom." She leaned forward to plant her elbows on her knees, resting her head on her crossed arms.

"I wouldn't listen to a private conversation between you and your mom," Faith said, shaking her head. "I mean, I have a few guesses what it was about, but I did not listen. And Mom won't tell me if you don't want her to."

"Mama, I came out here to talk to you," Joy reminded her. "I want to tell you. I need your advice."

"I say go for it," Faith declared without a pause. She shrugged when Joy shot a look at her. "What? You know me. That's how I work! Dive right in, do it…"

Joy stared at her for a long moment, a slow smile blossoming on her lips. "Ma, you're crazy." Faith just grinned at her. "You know it's a miracle you got Mom, don't you?"

Faith laughed, arms crossing her chest. "I might be crazy, but I'm not an idiot, Joy-rider! We're all damn lucky to have your mom."

"Do you even want to hear what you just told me to dive right into?" Joy asked, feeling immensely better about her internal struggle after only a few minutes of conversation with Faith. "It could be important."

"Lay it on me," Faith invited. "Whatever it is, you'll do the right thing," she stated confidently.

"It's not as simple as right or wrong, Ma." Joy took a deep breath. "If you had feelings for your best friend, what would you do about it? Would you do anything?"

Faith considered it, trying to give her daughter's question the thought it deserved. "Well, I think I've proved that I would just go for it. But I've never really had a best friend before, you know? Mom's the closest thing to a best friend that I've ever had. Unfortunately for me answering your question, we didn't get really close until after we were sleeping together." She took a breath. "You like Sam?"

Joy met her eyes, nodding. "And I think she likes me too, but I'm afraid that if we do something about it and it doesn't work I'll lose my best friend."

Faith nodded contemplatively, licking her lips. "What did Mom say?"

"She said that some people come into your life for a time and that's okay, but some of them stay forever and that's okay too," Joy said, clearing her throat. "But I don't know what kind of people we are to each other - if we're short term people or forever people."

"That's nothing you have to figure out right now though, Joy," Faith reminded her, moving to sit down on the second step. "You're young, both of you are young." She matched gazes with her daughter. "So, I'm going to stick with my suggestion. I've seen the way she looks at you, Joy-rider. You're not going to lose her."

Joy slid down onto the next step to sit next to Faith, letting the Slayer's arm pull her into her side, the younger brunette resting her head against her mother's shoulder. "You think?"

"Trust me," Faith whispered, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, one hand moving through her hair. "When Mom and I started getting serious, I thought your mom wasn't feeling it. I was nuts about her, we'd been sleeping together for months, but of course I hadn't said anything to her, and I was sure that she couldn't possibly feel like that about me. I didn't want to say anything because I figured she was going to break up with me sooner or later anyway once she got her head screwed back on straight," she shrugged, "I thought telling her how I felt would just make her drop me faster." She leaned against brown curls that were so like her own. "Turned out being beat to hell and finally telling her that I love her was the best thing I could have done."

Joy laughed. "Crazy," she murmured fondly.

"It works for me, though," Faith replied. "I think you'll regret not knowing more than knowing for sure, Joy. You'll never get a chance if you don't go for it."

The teen breathed deeply, comfortable inside the circle of her mother's arm. "You're right. I've got to go for it. I'm going to go for it."

Faith smiled against dark hair. "Good girl. And you know, whatever happens, your mom and I are here."

"I know," Joy whispered. "Thank you, Ma." She cleared her throat. "Are you going to go inside now? Mom's going to be pissed if you don't go to bed."

A hoarse chuckle answered her. "Yes, I'm going to bed. Sorry I kind of… sorry."

"It's okay," promised Joy. "I - we've been dancing around this for a while now and we flirt, but I just - I couldn't just blurt it out there in the restaurant if I hadn't even figured out what the hell…"

"Hey," Faith gently chided. "You know Mom doesn't like you talking like that." She paused. "And we've both been there, Joy. We understand. Whatever you need from us, you got it."

"You both talk like that," Joy countered.

"But you're our daughter. We want you to be better than we are."

Joy swatted her mother's stomach with a snort. They'd had bumpy moments, but she looked up to her parents above anyone else. "Shut up." One hand reached up for the arm Faith had wrapped around her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go inside before Mom calls Aunt B to look for us."

"She totally would," Faith muttered as they stood up. Joy laughed, curling an arm through her mother's as they took the stairs. "Night, Joy-rider."

Willow was sitting up, leaning against the headboard as Faith entered. The witch didn't put down her book, just watched silently as Faith kicked off her shoes and dropped her clothes behind her as she shuffled toward the bed. "Thanks so much for picking up after yourself," Willow murmured sarcastically as Faith flopped on her front beside her. Even as she teased though, her free hand combed through dark curls.

"I'll get it in the morning," Faith mumbled, shifting her head further into the soft contact. Her breathing was steady and deep and Willow was surprised when she spoke again, the redhead sure that she'd fallen asleep. "You had a thing for Xander, right?"

Willow couldn't help laughing, setting her book on the nightstand and slid down onto her side so both hands could get to Faith's hair. "Yes, in the very distant past. You know that though, Faith."

"But it didn't work out?" Faith's head was still buried in her pillow, disheveled hair ensuring that her face was hidden.

"No," Willow said with another laugh. "I'd wanted him to notice me for years…"

"Idiot," murmured Faith supportively, almost melting under Willow's hands playing with her hair.

"Thank you, sweetheart, but you sleeping with him," Faith groaned loudly, urging her to move along, "was what got me angry and jealous enough to see that Oz was right there and he saw me. Xander didn't really see me, even after we wrecked our relationships, but Oz did. I was just too wrapped up in Xander to see that he was there waiting. And Xander never really noticed me until after I was with Oz." She traced an old scar across Faith's scalp with a gentle finger. "How'd it go with Joy?" she asked softly.

Faith lifted her head, her body sliding onto her side so that she was facing Willow. "I told her to go for it. You never know until you try," she reasoned, shrugging. Willow moved her hands so she could continue combing her fingers through her partner's hair. "Is that wrong?"

Smiling, Willow shook her head. "Of course not."

"But when you and Xander - when that fell apart - how did you guys still be friends?" Faith asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"He's my friend," Willow answered simply. "He's hurt me, and I've hurt him, but at the end of the day, there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. We're best friends."

Faith blinked, considering that silently for a minute. "That's not how everybody is with their friends, Will."

Her world-weary, guarded persona, the one that had long since ceased to exist when they were alone together, was clear in her voice and Willow slipped down more in the bed and used the grip she had on Faith's hair to draw her wife's head to her chest. "I know. But that's how we've always been. Xander and Buffy and me." She combed her fingers through Faith's hair gently, the Slayer's arm curling across her waist.

"You think Joy and Sam and Mark have that?" Faith asked, starting to feel drowsy despite herself.

Willow smiled, feeling the brunette relax against her. "I think they might. I hope they do. I want that for Joy." She brushed a kiss to Faith's forehead. "I wish you could have had that. I wish we could have been that for you."

"Will, stop," Faith murmured. "I was the idiot that messed that one up." She lifted her head to give her partner a sleepy smirk. "And who knows? If we'd gotten to be friends back then, maybe you'd have never let me get under your skirt after Xander burned you on the friends with feelings thing."

Willow snorted, eyes rolling. "Well, I guess we'll never know. I'm pretty fond of how it worked out this way. Old you might have just let me walk away after you got under my skirt."

Nodding, Faith laughed. "I was such an idiot back then. This is better," she agreed, tugging Willow closer and molding her body against the length of her partner.

"Old you probably wouldn't admit to liking snuggling so much," Willow couldn't help teasing.

"I admit nothing," Faith grumbled, but didn't release Willow from her arms. "The fan's on and you're warm," she reasoned, making excuses.

Willow merely murmured agreement and smiled. "Because Slayers don't radiate heat like superhuman furnaces?"

She turned onto her other side and Faith took immediate advantage, dragging her back so that they were in their normal sleep position, Faith's chest against Willow's back. "I'm just hot, babe," Faith corrected her drowsily. Willow felt a sigh against the back of her neck. "I hope I didn't screw up - with Joy."

"You didn't," Willow promised reassuringly. "It's going to be up to her what to do. Whatever she decides, we've just got to support her."

Faith hesitated. "Jack's going to be crushed if Joy steals his girl right out from in front of his nose," she mused, grinning.

Willow laughed, leaning back onto Faith and turning her head to catch a kiss. "He's nine. I think he'll get over it."

"I don't know," teased Faith. "Sam's cute."

"Are you sure Jack's going to be the only devastated one?" Willow answered her joke with a scoff. Faith's jaw dropped and she rolled on top of Willow with impressive speed, moving before the witch could do anything. "And she's seen you with no shirt on," the redhead continued, voice lilting teasingly as Faith growled. The sound sent a shiver down her back, as Faith knew it would do. "I'd say you have a better chance than Jack, at least."

"Oh, yeah, you're in my bed and _I'm _going to be really crushed when Joy asks Sammy out?" Faith questioned sarcastically, her head dropping so that her lips dragged across Willow's collarbones. "Think you could help me through it?" She lifted her eyes to smirk before her lips sucked on a patch of freckled skin.

Willow arched helplessly, knee curling around the Slayer's hip. "There's probably something I can do," she agreed, breathless.

* * *

It was another week, a tense, strange, awkward week of the tense, strange, awkward dance that they'd been doing around each other for months, before the tension grew to be too much for either of them to handle. They were best friends, talked every day and about everything, but neither one had addressed the _thing_ between them. Sam still went to all of Joy's games, the pair of them going to Mark's football game together, and both Sam and Mark spent their free time at Joy's house, eating dinner with her family, studying at her kitchen table, and playing in the yard with her younger siblings.

Willow was amused to notice that Faith was the impatient one, the Slayer growing frustrated by the ongoing stalemate after their individual talks with Joy. But she didn't want to put any pressure on Joy to do anything she wasn't ready for, so she kept her mouth shut, much to Willow's delight, the witch taking entirely too much pleasure from watching Faith squirming.

The day something finally snapped seemed like a perfectly normal day. Joy's cell phone rang as she was getting out of her last class, Willow on the other end. "Mom, what's up?" Mark fell into step beside her as they walked toward their lockers.

"Ma had something come up and I've got to get Jack…"

"I can get Hope from school, no problem," Joy said before her mother could ask. She grinned when Mark gestured pleadingly, knowing silently what he wanted. "Hey, can Mark and Sam come over?"

"Of course, sweetie. Anytime. But it's a wolf night, so you know the rules."

Joy rolled her eyes toward her friend as they rounded the corner. "Sure, Mom. We'll be inside by sundown."

"And thank you!" Mark called, leaning over so Willow could hear him through the phone. Joy rolled her eyes again as she hung up the phone and he shrugged. "I'm totally not a suck up," he declared before she could tease him.

"You totally _are-_" Her counterargument was barely started before she stopped, freezing in the hallway and causing Mark to run into her.

"What-? Oh," he said, putting the pieces together as he spotted Sam and one of his football teammates chatting at their lockers. He, along with Joy's family, was convinced that Joy and Sam had feelings for each other, but neither one of them would admit to it. "About time," Mark commented with a smirk. "Luke's had a thing for Sammy for a while now. Glad he's finally doing something about it."

Joy's glare was sharp and she stepped on his foot before she stomped toward the wall of lockers. The football player disappeared into the crowd as Joy and Mark joined Sam at their lockers. "What'd he want?" Joy questioned, not able to hide her annoyance.

"He missed Chem last week. He borrowed my notes," Sam answered her, confused by her friend's attitude.

Abruptly, Joy brightened. "Oh," she said, noticeably more cheerful.

"Oh my God," Mark groaned, frustrated with them both. "Sammy, you want to hang out at the house? You can ride with me."

"Sure," she agreed easily, shoulders bobbing as she shrugged.

"I'll have to meet you over there," Joy said. "I've got to grab Hope from school. Ma's in a fight somewhere." She mustered a smile in spite of her mental conflict. "You guys go ahead. We'll be ten minutes behind you."

Pulling her mother's Jeep into the loop of her little sister's school, Joy waved to the teacher on duty and she released the little redhead to dash to the car. "Hey, Joy! Where's Mama?" she asked as she climbed into the backseat.

"She's at work," Joy answered, the generic answer they used to refer to Faith's slaying until the two younger Lehane children were old enough to understand the details. Jack knew most of it, but Hope was still in the dark.

"Where's Mark and Sammy?" the little girl continued questioning curiously.

"They're at home," Joy answered, breathing another deep breath of relief. "Hey, Hope, what do you think about Sam?"

"She's nice! And pretty!" Hope declared without a pause. "Is she your girlfriend yet?"

It took Joy a second to realize what she'd said, blinking at her sister in the mirror. "What? Why- where did you hear anything about that?"

"Mama." Joy sighed. "And Mommy. And Aunt Buffy. And Unk. And Mark."

"Great," the teen muttered to herself.

Hope huffed in the backseat. "How come you don't ask her out?"

"You're not old enough to ask me about this," declared Joy. After a pause, "But you think I should ask her out?"

A redhead bobbed, her expression matching Willow's. "Yes! She's fun! And if you don't hurry up, somebody else is going to ask her and then you'll be sad."

Joy shot her a look over her shoulder as she pulled the car onto their street. Mark's pickup was already in the driveway and she pulled up to the curb. Sam and Mark were tossing the football from Mark's truck in the yard with Jack instead of doing their homework.

Hope scampered to join the game as soon as she was out of the car, running to catch a ball that Mark lobbed her way. Sam turned to greet her friend but was blindsided by a kiss. She was only dimly aware of what was going on around them, entirely wrapped up answering the kiss, twisting her fingers through dark waves of hair.

"Finally!" Mark crowed when they separated, both lingering in the other's personal space and breathing hard. "I was about to do that myself just to get Joy to hit me. Things couldn't have gotten much more awkward anyway." He grinned when she sent him a glare. "It would have gotten you moving at least!"

Joy shrugged, blushing. "Lucky for your jaw you didn't try it," she said.

"Wait, what?" Sam questioned, mind still clouded with the sensation of Joy's lips on hers. "You were going to kiss me?"

"Just to get Joy to make a move," Mark said as though that explained his intentions. "I'm not into you like that, Sammy. You're like my sister, both of you. But I was starting to think Joy would never do something unless she got a push!"

Sam frowned, cocking her head at Joy. "So what made _you _kiss me?" Her tone was curious and she was biting her lip.

Joy took a moment to brace herself. "You can't act like you don't know," she said. "But I'll say it if you want me to." Sam just smirked at her friend, crossing her arms as she waited. "Fine," Joy answered, smirking herself. "I want to take you out." She licked her lips nervously. "On a date. I want you to go on a date with me."

Sam could just blink at her, cheeks flushed. They'd been dancing around the issue of their feelings for each other for months now and to hear it laid out so simply was a bit surprising. Willow chose that moment to step onto the porch, wiping her hands clean of a potion she'd been helping one of her student witches with. "Hey Joy, I didn't know you and your sister were home. I was just coming to see if you three wanted some pizza, but I can order another one if you're really hungry."

"Joy might have a date, actually," Mark said, grinning. "But I'm starving. Jack, you're in for pizza, right?"

"Yeah!" he agreed, slapping the older boy's hand.

Willow's face fell just slightly at the mention of Joy having a date, noticing the tension that lingered in the air. "Oh, well, if you've got a date…"

"I don't know, Mom," Joy interjected. "She hasn't said yes yet." Her eyes were on Sam as she spoke and Willow smiled, getting a nod of confirmation from Mark.

"Technically, you haven't asked me anything yet," Sam reminded her, gently teasing.

"Really?" questioned Joy. "You're going to make me say it again? In front of my mother?"

Sam just nodded, smiling happily. "You're the one who kissed me in your yard and in front of Mark and half of your family."

"Fine," Joy agreed. "Whatever it takes. Sam, would you please go out with me tonight?" Without them even noticing it their hands had slipped together, fingers lacing, and Joy tugged lightly on her hand when Sam hesitated to tease her.

"Yes. Of course. _Finally_!" she agreed, laughing as Joy narrowed her eyes at her.

Willow cleared her throat from the porch, smiling at the pair. "Looks like I do have a date after all, Mom. So don't worry about the extra pizza."

"Alright," the redhead agreed warmly. "You two have fun." Joy waved as they left, brushing past Faith as she got home. Willow just laughed when Faith gave her a confused look, looking over her shoulder to make sure that the two girls really had been holding hands like she'd thought she'd seen.

"What's up?" Faith asked, surprised when Willow and Mark just laughed. "What did I miss?

* * *

Sorry I've been gone for a while - it's been a busy month... But I do have a few more chapters lined up already, so it shouldn't take so much time for the next chapter (and the next one is not so Joy-centric, if that's not something you enjoy...)


	21. Chapter 21

Willow looked up from her book as her youngest daughter toddled up to her lawn chair, the witch reclining with a novel while her youngest children played in the yard. The little girl looked near tears, her red ringlets bouncing as she ran. "Mommy, Mommy!"

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Willow put her book to the side and pulled the upset little one into her lap. "What happened?"

"Jack taked my doll!" She announced it as though it was a serious crime that her brother had perpetrated against her, sniffling as she waited for her mother to dispense justice.

Willow looked around the yard for any sign of the doll but could find nothing. "Jack," she called him over, the little boy blinking innocently up at her. "Jack, where is your sister's doll?"

"I dunno, Mommy. I didn't touch it," he answered, both hands crossed behind his back.

"You didn't?" She pinned him with a look and he shook his head. "Would you help her look for it, then, please?"

"I didn't take it!" Jack protested sullenly.

Shaking her head, Willow narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll find out if you did, but either way, I asked you to help her look for it," she pointedly reminded him. "Okay?" He nodded and Willow put a pouting Hope down.

They trotted back after a few minutes of rooting through the bushes and circling the big tree where their tire swing hung on one side and Faith's punching bag hung on the other. "Mommy, it's gone!" Hope yelped, obviously distraught and frustrated.

"Jack, do you know where it went?" Willow questioned.

"No, Mommy," answered the little boy, his feet shuffling through the grass.

"He diss-pered it!" Hope accused, pushing him.

Willow quickly knelt between them to separate them when Jack jumped forward to retaliate, holding the little boy at arm's length with a hand on his chest. "Hey! You do _not_ push, Hope! You know better than that! And Jack, you _never_ hit your sister."

"I didn't!" he protested loudly.

"Don't even act like you're going to!" Willow countered, giving him a sharp look so that he nodded sullenly.

"Mommy! Jack diss-pered my doll!" Hope repeated her accusation, pulling on Willow's sleeve to get her mother's attention.

The witch sighed, frowning. "Jack, do you know what she means? Where is the doll?"

"I don't know!" he insisted, clearly frustrated. "It disappeared!"

Willow blinked, looking around the yard again. "Disappeared? When you say 'disappeared' you mean…"

Jack shrugged, impatiently stomping a foot. "It was there and then it wasn't." He looked down at the ground. "I didn't mean to!"

Willow guided his head up with one hand, brows furrowed. "You didn't mean to? Has other stuff disappeared too?"

He nodded slowly, looking guilty. "I didn't mean to, though! It was all accidents!" His little face screwed up and he sniffled back tears. "Mommy, I tried to get the doll back but I don't know where it went!" he cried, lunging forward to bury his face in her shoulder, both arms wrapping around her neck.

Willow soothed him as he started to cry, hand rubbing his back gently. "Okay, bub, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, Jackie." She stood up, hooking an arm under his butt to carry him even though he was too big to be carried, and offered her other hand to Hope. "Show me where you were when the doll disappeared, okay?" she instructed, letting Hope pull her across the yard.

They stopped at the corner of the house and Willow could feel the remnants of magic in the air. It was untrained but powerful, and familiar. "Oh sweetheart," she murmured to herself, leaning her head against Jack's hair. "It's going to be okay." She knelt down slowly, guiding Jack into her lap as she sat down in the grass. "Jack, let me hold your hand," she requested, whispering into his ear.

His palm was sticky as he slipped his fingers through hers, but he picked up his head, struggling to stop sniffling. Willow gave him a reassuring wink. "There's my handsome man," she said softly, getting a small smile in response. "Want to see something cool?" she asked, raising her voice to a normal volume. Both children nodded and Willow closed her eyes to concentrate on following the feel of her son's magic. "Just watch," she coaxed them both, tracing the path of Jack's unconscious spell through the atmosphere.

She heard both of them gasp in surprise and delight, and she opened her eyes to find Hope's doll on top of a pile of random assorted junk from around the house. Just glancing at the pile, she spotted an old remote, one of Jack's toy cars, a few old rawhide bones that had belonged to their dog, and one of Faith's boots that the Slayer had been convinced a younger Slayer had accidentally made off with after a late training session.

"Oh Jack," Willow whispered, free hand pushing his hair back from his face.

He leaned his head back against her chest, blinking wide brown eyes at her. "I didn't mean to!"

Willow's response was superseded by Faith's arrival, the Slayer walking up to stand beside the seated Willow, her arms crossing her chest as she inspected the pile. "Are we having a yard sale of stuff no one will buy?" she questioned, frowning as she noticed the expression on her son's face. "What's wrong?"

Willow looked up at her, still combing her fingers comfortingly through Jack's hair. "We need to talk," she said seriously.

Faith wordlessly offered her a hand up, pulling the witch and the little boy in her arms up effortlessly. Jack, normally playful and outgoing, didn't say anything but just buried his face in his mother's shoulder.

Hope had retrieved her doll and tugged on Faith's hand, wanting to be carried like her brother. Faith obligingly picked her up, watching her partner walking Jack around to try and calm him down. "Will…"

"Shh," the witch hushed Faith and a hiccupping Jack at the same time.

Faith looked at the pile of junk in the yard, hoping it would give her a clue about what the hell was going on. "Is that my shoe?"

"Not yet," Willow whispered. _"He's scared," she continued, sending the words straight into her wife_'s head. _"He doesn't understand what he can do."_

"'_What he can do?' What can he do?"_ Faith questioned, growing anxious. _"Will, where did this stuff come from?"_

"_He's been making it disappear."_ Faith's eyes went wide and Willow shook her head to cut off her partner's further questions. "Jackie-boy, how about you and Hope each go get a popsicle and you can eat them and watch a cartoon."

"It's not dinner yet," Jack protested.

"Nevertheless," Willow countered, mussing his hair with a hand and drawing a smile from him. "I need to talk to Mama, so you two scoot."

They each put down their children and the two scrambled for the door, Willow pleased to see Jack hold the screen door for his sister. "Jack can make stuff disappear?" Faith demanded as soon as they were alone in the yard, crouching to pull her boot out of the pile of detritus. "All this stuff?"

"It seems so," Willow agreed, her arms crossing her chest. "He accidentally made Hope's doll disappear today and she said he took it."

Faith looked up at her, brows furrowed. "So, he's like you? With the magic stuff?"

"It seems so," the witch repeated. "Just in case we weren't sure he's my son."

"Yeah, right," Faith agreed distractedly. Her eyes skittered around the yard anxiously and the Slayer swallowed hard. "Do you think that might mean… Could Hope be like me?"

Willow crouched down at her side, hand resting soothingly on her wife's back. "Hope's not old enough to be a Slayer, sweetie." Faith didn't look convinced, just worriedly chewing on her bottom lip. The thought that her younger daughter could have inherited the Slayer birthright from her clearly had her unnerved. "Hope's not going to be old enough to be a Slayer for a few years yet." Willow watched her carefully. "And anyway, Dawn was made from Buffy and she's not a Slayer. We'll just have to wait and see what happens when she turns fifteen."

"Until then, I'll not be sleeping," Faith declared, sitting back on her heels. She huffed. "What are we going to do, Will?"

The witch sat down heavily beside her partner, staring at the pile of junk in the yard, one hand sorting through it idly. "I was looking for this earring," she mused, letting it rest in her cupped palm. "I thought I lost it."

"You don't lose things. But Jackie made it disappear with his magic?" asked Faith for clarification. "I don't like this, Willow. He's just a little kid!"

"He's smart."

"He's young," the Slayer countered. "He's too young. You weren't this young when you started using magic, were you?"

Willow shook her head. "No. I was sixteen, seventeen. But, Faith, he's been around it his whole life, even if he didn't know exactly what it was. It makes sense." Faith glared at her and the redhead frowned. "Don't look at me like this is my fault. He's your son too. Who's been teaching him to fight since he could walk?" Faith's expression begrudgingly relaxed and Willow sighed. "I'll just have to teach him to control it."

"You can do that, right?"

Willow gave her a narrow look. "You do remember how I spend my days, don't you? Honey, training witches is what I do."

Faith's nose wrinkled. "Is witch the right word? He's a dude."

Willow rolled her eyes, shoving her partner's shoulder. "Whatever. Warlock, wizard if you like. The fact remains that training magically inclined people is what I do with my life."

"How dangerous is this for him?" Faith asked, looking at the pile of magically pilfered items. "Can he hurt himself?"

Willow took a moment before she answered, Faith meeting her eyes. "He could but I don't think he has or he would have said something to us. Or at least to Joy. He said the disappearing has always been accidental. I think it probably just scared him and he didn't know how to explain so he didn't say anything so he couldn't get in trouble."

"It's not his fault! He wouldn't be in trouble!" Faith protested.

"I know that," Willow said, her voice quiet in an effort to calm her partner down. "But he's only nine. It's scary. We need to talk to him."

Faith nodded, swallowing. "You're the witch, though."

"But we're both his parents. He's scared of this."

"So what can I do about that?" questioned Faith, anxiously rubbing both hands over the tops of her thighs.

The redhead rolled her eyes again. "You're kidding me, right? You're his hero." Faith blinked, surprised. "Oh, please! You're all the kids' hero." She shook her head with a small smile. "You're my hero, too."

Faith looked pleased, proud of herself, and temporarily distracted by the likely possibility that their son was magical like Willow. "Thanks, Will," she said, grateful.

Willow's smile grew slowly. "I'll talk to him. You just have to let him sit in your lap. It'll make him feel safe."

"But this is scary, isn't it?" Faith asked, frown returning. "For him," she clarified.

"And for us, too," Willow reassured her. "We can be scared of this, sweetheart. He's going to have a lot to deal with from now on. But he's more than capable. He can do this."

Further conversation was delayed by the arrival of Joy and Sam, their hands clasped. "Hello, mothers," Joy greeted them cheerfully. "Is there a good reason you're sitting outside on the ground with a pile of crap?" she asked.

"Someone had a good date, I see," Faith countered, arching an eyebrow at the teens.

Joy grinned. "We sure did." She tossed the keys of her mother's Jeep back to her. "Thanks for the car. What's with all the junk? Hey, is that my old cell phone?" she asked, spotting it in the pile. "Where'd you find it?"

The Slayer and witch exchanged glances and Willow sighed. "Turns out that your brother has been making things disappear from around the house."

Joy frowned, shaking her head in denial. "Jackie wouldn't steal, Mom. You know that!"

"I don't mean he's been stealing. I mean that he's literally been making it disappear," Willow clarified.

Her oldest daughter's expression slacked in confusion and then tightened as she realized the truth. "Jack's a witch?"

Willow glanced sideways at Faith. "Ma would prefer we not say 'witch' because he's a boy, but, yes, it looks like he can use magic." She took a deep breath. "He's got a lot of power." There was a haunted look in her eyes and Joy frowned, eyes traveling between her parents. Willow shook herself out of her daze after a few seconds. "I'm going to help him," she stated reassuringly.

Joy looked sideways at Sam, both of their expressions serious. "Well, I wasn't expecting this when I said you should come over," she admitted, squeezing her girlfriend's hand. "I was figuring we'd watch a movie…"

"We need to talk to your brother, so actually…" Faith started.

Joy nodded. "Got it. We'll get out of the way."

"Bedroom doors stay open," the Slayer reminded them pointedly and Joy rolled her eyes.

"Ma, don't be gross. We'll bring Hope upstairs and play a game with her or something."

"That would be helpful, sweetie. Thank you," Willow said before Faith could say anything else to embarrass the teens. "Sorry Samantha. You know to ignore her by now, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sam agreed dryly. She let Joy pull her away without speaking again.

Faith let them get to the door before she spoke up, "But seriously, girls, doors stay open."

"Ma!" Joy shot back over her shoulder.

"Faith," Willow chided at the same time. "Girls, have fun and ignore her."

"Not too mu-" Willow's hand over her mouth cut off the rest, and the teens retreated quickly.

Faith glared at her from behind the hand and the witch shook her head. "Stop it," she ordered. "They're good girls. And for crying out loud, Hope is going upstairs with them! They're not going to do anything, Faith!" She relaxed her hand, sitting back. "Jack's going to be okay. I would never let him become me."

"Hey!" Faith protested sharply. "You're his mother, Willow. There's no one better for him to be like."

Willow shook her head. "You never saw me like that - out of control. I wasn't even human, Faith. I was a monster." Her voice was low. "It can't ever happen again. To me or to him."

"It won't," the Slayer stated. "We're never going to let it happen." She heard Joy and Sam on the stairs inside and pushed herself up onto her feet. "Come on," she said, offering a hand to her wife. "The girls are upstairs. Jackie's going to be getting worried that he's in trouble the longer he's waiting by himself."

Willow let herself be led inside, Faith watching Jack from the kitchen for a moment before she moved to sit down beside him. "Hey bub," she greeted him, smiling.

"Mama, did Mommy tell you what I did?" he asked, his feet kicking as he leaned back, slouching on the couch. Faith nodded silently and he started chewing on his bottom lip. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Faith answered him. "We do need to talk to you about what happened, though." She leaned back herself into the corner of the couch. "Will you sit here and talk with us?" He nodded, turning to lean back against his mother and letting her wrap an arm over his shoulder. "Thanks," she whispered into his hair.

Willow sat down next to them, her body angled toward the pair. "Do you understand what happened? How those things disappeared?" He looked conflicted, shaking his head so that messy brown curls fell in his face. "Okay," she soothed him. "It's okay. You know how I can make things disappear like that, come back, do whatever I want them to?" He nodded the second time. "Well, it looks like you can do it too."

"What's that mean?" he asked after a long moment of consideration.

"It's means you're special, like Mom. You can do things like she can," Faith told him, looking up over his head to meet Willow's eyes.

"How? I never meant to disappear things. It just happens."

Willow nodded. "I know. I can teach you to control it." She swallowed hard. "It's important that I teach you to control it."

"Why?" His frown was confused.

"Because it's strong," Willow told him. "You know how Mama taught you how to fight?" He nodded dutifully, leaning back to look up at his brunette parent. "But she taught you never to hurt someone deliberately."

"Look after Hope and Joy," he recited his mother's most important lesson. "But never start a fight. I could hurt somebody."

Willow nodded. "Exactly. The magic is the same way. If you don't learn how to control it, you can hurt someone. You could hurt yourself or your sisters without meaning to."

His face got serious and he bit his lip. "I don't want to hurt anybody."

"You won't," Faith whispered, patting his chest soothingly. "Mom's going to teach you." She leaned over to give him a coaxing smile. "And hey, you'll be able to do lots of cool things. It's not all scary like we're making it sound."

"No, it's not bad," Willow agreed, shaking her head. "I'm not trying to scare you, bubba. Okay?" He nodded quietly, but still looked serious and intense. "Here, I'll show you," she offered, holding one hand out to him. He matched his palm against hers and they were nearly the same size. "Can you feel that?" she asked, extending a tendril of her own magic to touch his.

His eyes widened and a sudden grin split his face. "Cool," he whispered, looking up at Faith for a reaction. She gave him a wink and encouraging smile. "Is that all?"

Willow shook her head, smiling at his excitement. "No way." Her eyes searched for a suitable target. "Concentrate on the lamp," she suggested, gesturing with her head.

His eyes bugged even further as the lamp floated up, not noticing that Willow's hand had withdrawn from his, leaving him doing it on his own. As soon as he realized that he was responsible for the flying lamp, it dropped sharply, Willow catching it easily.

"How'd I do that?" Jack asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"It's magic," answered Willow, proudly smiling. "That's just the beginning, though. I can teach you so much more than just that." She reached forward to tousle his hair. "But we have to be careful. You understand? It would be dangerous if you couldn't control it." She knew precisely how it felt to surrender control to the magic and was determined that her son never would.

Jack sobered, nodding. "Okay. What do I gotta do?"

Willow thoughtfully considered him. "Well, to start with, how about I teach you how to bring back things you disappear?" she suggested.

He grinned again, recognizing that he was being teased. "Cool."

Faith watched Willow coach him through harnessing his magic, beginning to learn to use the power at his control. The redhead really was a gifted teacher, guiding without pushing and making suggestions without condescension. Once it was clear that the pair had things well in hand and no longer even noticed her presence or absence, the Slayer rose soundlessly from the couch, padding upstairs to check on the girls.

Joy, Sam, and Hope were all piled in the middle of the floor of Joy's room, the door opened wide, which drew a smile from the Slayer. The room was dark but she could see Joy's face in the glow from the television. "Hey," Faith greeted her daughter, her voice low as she noticed the Sam was asleep, her head pillowed on Joy's stomach. In turn, Hope was using her sister's girlfriend as a pillow herself, though she was still awake and watching the movie.

"Is Jackie okay?" Joy asked, care for her little brother obvious in her tone.

Faith nodded, leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed. "Mom's going to teach him to control it. He's going to be fine."

"He's not going to join her class or anything, is he?"

"Mom said he's strong, but I don't think he'll be ready for that anytime soon," Faith mused. "Of course, Mom's the most powerful witch out there so there's no telling how fast he'll pick up on it."

Joy frowned. "Are you worried?"

Blinking, Faith released a deep breath. "Trying not to. I've always - the magic is a bit out of my depth. That's Mom's area. And it really messed her up a long time ago."

"After Tara died?"

"Yeah," Faith answered hoarsely. "Now, with Jack… I think she's scared, a little. She teaches all these other witches but it's - it wasn't you or your brother or sister."

Joy nodded her head. "It's personal," she said. "It's _Jack_." She considered her mother from across the room. "Was it different for you to teach us to fight than the Slayer girls?"

"Hell yes!" Joy smirked. "The girls are kids. You're _my_ kids. It's a big difference. They bleed, I tell them to suck it up, get back on their feet. One of you bleeds and…"

"You still told us to suck it up and get back on our feet," Joy pointed out with a quiet chuckle.

"Well, yeah, but one of them bleeding doesn't make my chest feel like it's going to explode," countered the Slayer. She nodded resolutely. "Your mom knows what she's doing, though. Jack's going to be fine." Joy gave her a reassuring smile and the elder brunette cleared her throat gruffly. "So, where'd you and Sam go on your date?"

Joy rolled her eyes at the rather obvious subject change, but obliged it for her mother's sake. "Mark had a game tonight."

"You guys make out under the bleachers?" Faith teased with a smirk and Joy rolled her eyes.

"You're hilarious. Really." Faith winked and Joy smirked herself. "And what if we did? I told you it was a good date!" Faith's expression froze and the teen couldn't hold her back her own laughter. "You're too easy, Mama."

Faith huffed. "You're hilarious. Really," she echoed flatly. "And you were raised to be polite."

"I can be _very _polite under the bleachers, Ma," Joy joked, wiggling her eyebrows as she curled an arm around Sam's back. "It gets cold under there and I'll give her my jacket, my shirt, whatever…"

"You're about to be _very_ grounded," the Slayer warned.

"Oh, come on! You know I'm just messing with you. You really make it too easy. No means no and all that," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Not that I hear 'no' that often," she couldn't help teasing. "_So _easy!" she sing-songed when Faith's eyes narrowed and the Slayer started grumbling under her breath. "And not to push my luck, but could Sam spend the night?"

Faith nodded immediately. Teasing was one thing, but their doors were always opened to Joy's friends. "Of course. Anything wrong?"

Joy sighed, one hand combing through her sleeping girlfriend's hair. "She's starting to get a little cold or something, but her mom's just starting a new round of chemo so she can't be around germs. You don't care if she sleeps here, do you?"

"Of course not," Faith stated. "You'll make up the couch?"

Joy sighed again but nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl."

"Thank you."

Faith's head bobbed resolutely. "Sure thing, Joy-rider."

They both heard the clatter of breaking glass suddenly, Faith tensing to move instinctively, and Joy sitting up. "What's up?" Sam asked, roused from sleep and lifting her head.

"You're sleeping in my bed tonight," Joy answered quickly, unable to resist teasing her mother once more. Faith sent her a look over her shoulder and cleared her throat warningly as she moved toward the stairs. "And I'll be on the couch, of course," she added. "Jeez, Ma!" There was a fond smile on her face, though.

Leaving the teens to discuss their sleeping arrangements, Faith went back downstairs to find Jack looking disappointed and upset, Willow on her knees in front of him. There was a broken picture frame on the ground beside them. "It's okay, bubba. It was just an accident. Those are going to happen," she encouraged him. "It's fine."

As she spoke, though, Faith noticed the slow drip of blood off her partner's elbow. "Um, Will…" She kept her tone level so she wouldn't scare the little boy further. "Where's the…"

"Shoulder," Willow answered, her teeth gritted. "Could you get me a towel, please?"

Faith jumped to act, collecting a dishrag that had been used as a blood rag on many other occasions. She grimaced at the growing trails of blood on the witch's shirt and she handed the towel over. "I hurt Mommy," Jack confessed to her sadly, his shoe scuffing against the floor.

"It was an accident," Willow firmly corrected him. "I'm fine. The glass broke and it scared you. You didn't mean to hurt me. You're doing so good, Jack." One hand slid down his arm and guided his hand to her injured shoulder. He resisted slightly, obviously scared to make it worse. "Trust me. You're not going to hurt me."

Faith watched with crossed arms, not letting herself flinch in an effort to calm Jack down. "Mom's tough, big guy."

"Just concentrate," coached Willow. "See if you can feel what I'm doing." The steady drip of blood slowed and Jack watched with wide eyes. "You feel that? Feel how it's healing?" He nodded and Willow's thumb rubbed his cheek soothingly. "See? I'm fine." She let out a deep breath and he lowered his hand. "How about we call it a night? I can teach you more tomorrow."

He ran off to join his sisters without a word and Willow slumped onto her heels as he disappeared. "You really okay?" Faith questioned, frowning.

"Help me up," Willow requested, letting Faith's strong hands guide her into a chair at the table. "We're going to need tweezers. And alcohol."

Faith retrieved the supplies, both rubbing alcohol and two beers, and joined the witch at the table. "What do you want me to do?"

Willow popped the top on her beer immediately and took a long pull. "There's glass shards in my shoulder. I need you to get them out."

"Shit." Faith frowned, giving her a look. "You didn't really heal yourself with glass in there, did you?"

"Just in a few spots," Willow said with a one-armed shrug. "He was scared and I needed to make him feel better."

"Shit, Will," the Slayer repeated her expletive as the redhead slipped her injured arm out of her shirt to let Faith be able to work more easily. "That's pretty badass."

Willow took another sip of her drink, smirking weakly. "I gotta keep up with you somehow. Now, can we please do something about the pieces of glass in my shoulder?"

Faith nodded, hand gingerly turning Willow so that she could see better in the light. "What about the ones you closed up?" Willow answered nonverbally, the few cuts she'd healed reopening slowly and drawing a breathless groan of pain from the witch. "Hey! Stop that!"

"Better than getting infected," Willow reasoned, drawing in a deep breath and taking another drink. She nodded her head toward her shoulder when Faith hesitated. "Have at it," she offered. The Slayer still looked reluctant and Willow sighed. "Faith, it's okay."

Brown eyes were conflicted. "It's going to hurt."

"_You're_ not hurting me. I know the difference, Faith." The Slayer frowned, not pleased with the distinction. "It's not like I've never dug things out of you," Willow reminded her.

"I don't see how you do it," Faith complained. "I don't want to do this!"

Willow scoffed lightly. "It's sweet, babe, really, but it hurts, and yes, you digging around in there is going to hurt worse, but it'll make it feel better ultimately. So get in there."

Faith glared petulantly and reached for her beer, draining half the bottle before she picked up the tweezers. She was muttering under her breath as she started, flinching every time that Willow gasped or groaned. A few of the larger pieces made her grimace in sympathy, dropping the shards onto the bloody rag. She gingerly probed the injuries for any remnants of glass left in the wound, relieved when Willow didn't flinch.

"Thank you, sweetie," the witch said gratefully, letting Faith press a flat gauze pad over the slowly bleeding cuts. "You know, it really is kind of cute how you'll sit there and not make a peep when I'm pulling glass and metal and wood out of giant holes in your body, but you can't stop twitching when you're pulling itty bits of glass out of me."

"Shut up," Faith told her, eyes narrowing. "I don't want to ever have to do that again!"

Shaking her head, Willow smiled. "Jack didn't mean to." She trailed a hand over Faith's face gently, smoothing the furrows in her brow. "He dropped the picture and when it shattered, he tried to catch it and the glass just kind of shot out."

"I know he didn't mean to, babe. I just _really_ hate you being hurt, Will."

Willow laughed, leaning up to kiss her cheek softly. "Well, Jack is going to be really good eventually, but when we have another accident…"

"Oh, you better tell me or I'll kick your ass," Faith warned her sternly. She dropped to sit on the edge of the table next to Willow as the witch tucked her arm back into her shirt. "How'd it go?"

Willow leaned over to put her head on Faith's knee, the Slayer combing her fingers through red hair without thought. "He's freaked out, naturally, but he's good. He's picking it up quickly." She breathed deeply. "He's going to be powerful."

Faith was quiet, still stroking her partner's hair gently. "It scares you, doesn't it? That he might be as strong as you are?"

"It terrifies me," Willow confirmed. "I wrecked myself, Faith. I cannot watch it happen to our son."

"He's a good boy, Will. And he's got you looking out for him. He's going to be fine, babe," Faith promised, her other hand rubbing the witch's back. "I don't think we need to be scared that he's going to turn into some super powerful wizard anytime soon. For now, let's concentrate on the stuff that won't drive us crazy."

"Such as?"

Faith shrugged, grinning. "How about making sure our son doesn't use his spanking new magic to become overlord of the middle school?"

The mental image that popped into her head made Willow laugh and she hugged her good arm around Faith's calf. "We'll deal with what's in front of us."

"Right. And we'll all be fine."


End file.
